The three-week state government shutdown hit Minnesota's unemployment numbers hard.
According to a monthly jobs report released Thursday, the state's jobless rate increase from 6.8 percent in June to 7.2 percent in July.
Government jobs were down 28,000 in July, adding to much smaller dips in the construction, information and hospitality industries. According to the numbers, there were 26,608 more government sector workers who were unemployed in July 2011 compared to July 2010.
Despite the drops, Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Mark Phillips reported some optimism.
"While the numbers are temporarily distorted by the state government shutdown, Minnesota's job growth continues to improve incrementally and actually shows signs of strength in a number of sectors," he said.
