Central Minnesota residents are hard at work as the region continues its upward trend in labor force growth.
Isanti County is seeing unemployment rates above the state average, but residents appear to be getting back to work, as that number is on the decline.
On July 6, Barbara Chaffee and her team from Minnesota Jobs and Training addressed the Isanti County Board of Commissioners to present their annual report.
This year’s report found that central Minnesota is in for another year of growth to its labor force. According to the report, central Minnesota has gained about 50,922 workers within the past 14 years. The growth pattern falls in line with state averages, with central Minnesota showing promising results.
The area’s labor force managed to grow during the recessions in 2001 and 2007 and did not see a drop until 2010. The area has been on the rise once again since 2014.
The Isanti County unemployment rate, while it remains above the state average, has been on a decline since reaching a 15-year high in 2009 at 10 percent. According to the report, the county has an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent. The state average is 3 percent.
Dental services
Isanti County will continue its efforts to provide health care services to its residents with its continued partnership with Children’s Dental Services.
The goal is to improve access to children’s dental health, and services will be offered for ages 1 to 18 in Isanti County.
Access to dental care was identified as a top community health issue for the county in 2015. By partnering with Children’s Dental Services, the county is providing people with access to affordable dental care.
Some of the services provided by Children’s Dental Services are exams, X-rays, extractions, fillings, sealants and providing education on dental health.
Children’s Dental Services has offered three clinics so far in 2016, with increasingly higher numbers of appointments.
There are two remaining clinics scheduled for this year, in September and November. Children’s Dental Services is also considering monthly clinics for 2017.
