Minnesota’s labor market remains strong despite national uncertainty, with high participation and record employment. At the same time…

Demographic shifts, changing employer expectations, and slower growth in lower-skill jobs are creating persistent talent shortages in high-skill fields—especially Healthcare, Human Services, Digital Technology, and Engineering.
Employers increasingly value both technical expertise and the human skills needed to work effectively alongside AI.
Remote and hybrid work continue to reshape hiring patterns.

Healthcare stands out statewide for its scale and sustained demand, driven by both job growth and replacement needs. Greater Minnesota faces tighter labor pipelines due to population decline and retirements in manufacturing, agriculture, natural resources, and public-sector roles. The MSP Metro benefits from a larger labor pool but continues to experience acute shortages in high-skill occupations.

Minnesota’s Career Cluster Framework helps Career and Technical Education (CTE) leaders and educators align programs with evolving career pathways, regional workforce needs, and the occupations most critical to the state’s economic future.

About Our CTE Reports

Our reports detail the current workforce landscape of Minnesota and the regional nuances of talent demand by career field. The content is intended to support Minnesota Perkins Consortia in navigating changes in their local labor market and guide their understanding of how these changes may impact enrollment, industry, career advancement, and the needed programs of study by region. Each report includes:

Regional economic and demographic overview
An Origin-to-Gateway-to-Target model analysis for how to help move students from entry points into their field of interest into other aligned careers
Analysis including regional importance of each sector, key labor market statistics, and forecasting for future demand and talent shortages in the six career fields: