The Mankato-North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area (Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) is one of the hardest working and most productive metros in the country.

According to the 2015 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, our MSA’s workforce (ages 16-64) ranks 5th in labor force participation…out of 381 MSAs across the country.  This type of engagement of the labor force is reflective of an employee’s high work ethic and resulting productivity for employers.

Many people choose to work beyond 64 years of age.  If you look at the Labor Force Participation Rate for 16 years and older, the Mankato-North Mankato MSA has the highest work ethic in the continental United States (73%).  Only Fairbanks, Alaska is higher at 74.7%.  Definitions are below the table.

Definitions

Unemployed: All civilians 16 years old and over are classified as unemployed if they (1) were neither “at work” nor “with a job but not at work” during the reference week, and (2) were actively looking for work during the last 4 weeks, and (3) were available to accept a job. Also included as unemployed are civilians who did not work at all during the reference week, but were waiting to be called back to a job from which they had been laid off, and were available for work except for temporary illness.

Not in labor force: Not in labor force includes all people 16 years old and over who are not classified as members of the labor force. This category consists mainly of students, housewives, retired workers, seasonal workers interviewed in an off season who were not looking for work, institutionalized people, and people doing only incidental unpaid family work (less than 15 hours during the reference week).

The short answer is this: unemployed workers are actively seeking work; those not in the labor force are not actively seeking work.