Minnesota is located in the Midwestern United States. It is part of the US region known as the Upper Midwest. Spanning 86,943 square miles, it is the twelfth-largest state and is nicknamed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. Roughly 60% of its 5,266,214 residents (2009 est.) live in the Minneapolis-St. Louis metropolitan area also known as the “Twin Cities”.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Minnesota had an estimated $262 billion in 2008.** Due to the state’s extensive natural resources, forestry remains a strong part of the local economy, as well as logging, paper production and pulpwood processing. At present, Minnesota relies heavily on high technology industries such as scientific instrument manufacturing, printing and publishing, fabricated metals, computer manufacturing, food and food products. Minnesota also offers something for every kind of tourist – its abundance in state parks, art galleries, theaters, theme parks, zoos, museums, fishing spots and hiking trails, scenic byways, and state festivals and fairs make tourism a strong contributor to the local economy.
The unemployment rate for Minnesota as of August 2010 was estimated to be at 7%.***
| Unemployment Agency | Website | Phone Number | State |
| Unemployment Insurance Agency | Minnesota Website | Minnesota Unemployment Benefits |
Below is a list of the 50 largest employers in Minnesota:****
| Employer | City |
| UNIVERSITY OF MN-TWIN CITIES | Minneapolis |
| 3M CO | Saint Paul |
| FAIRVIEW UNIVERSITY MED CTR | Minneapolis |
| PARK NICOLLET METHODIST HOSPITAL | Minneapolis |
| THOMSON REUTERS | Saint Paul |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC | Minneapolis |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL | Minneapolis |
| FAIRVIEW UNIVERSITY MEDICAL | Minneapolis |
| ST. MARY’S DULUTH CLINIC CTR-OB | Duluth |
| BEST BUY CO INC | Minneapolis |
| PARK NICOLLET CLINIC | Minnetonka |
| PIPER BREAST CTR | Minneapolis |
| ANDERSEN CORP | Bayport |
| FAIRVIEW SOUTHDALE | Minneapolis |
| GENERAL MILLS INC | Minneapolis |
| HENNEPIN COUNTY MEDICAL CTR | Minneapolis |
| MAYO CLINIC PAIN REHAB CTR | Rochester |
| NORTH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CTR | Robbinsdale |
| TARGET CORP | Minneapolis |
| CARLSON CO INC | Minnetonka |
| SMSC GAMING ENTERPRISE | Prior Lake |
| NORTH MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE | Robbinsdale |
| COLUMBIA PARK MEDICAL GROUP | Brooklyn Park |
| HEALTH PARTNERS INC | Minneapolis |
| HENNEPIN COUNTY ADMIN | Minneapolis |
| LITTLE SIX CASINO | Prior Lake |
| SMDC HEALTH SYSTEM | Duluth |
| TARGET STORES INC | Minneapolis |
| BLUE CROSS & BLUE SHIELD OF MN | Saint Paul |
| BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP | Saint Paul |
| MYSTIC LAKE CASINO | Prior Lake |
| SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY | Bloomington |
| ALLINA HOSPITALS & CLINICS | Minneapolis |
| CARGILL INC | Wayzata |
| CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS & CLINICS | Minneapolis |
| FAIRVIEW HEALTH SVC | Minneapolis |
| HORMEL FOODS | Austin |
| PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE CO | Minneapolis |
| STAR TRIBUNE MEDIA CO | Minneapolis |
| V.A. MEDICAL CTR-MN | Minneapolis |
| MARVIN WINDOWS | Warroad |
| HEALTH PARTNERS BENEFITS | Bloomington |
| MALL OF AMERICA | Bloomington |
| MARSDEN BUILDING MAINTENANCE LLC | Saint Paul |
| MEDTRONIC INC | Minneapolis |
| HUTCHINSON TECHNOLOGY INC | Hutchinson |
| MINNESOTA LIFE INSURANCE CO | Saint Paul |
| RYERSON INC | Minneapolis |
| ROCHESTER METHODIST HOSPITAL | Rochester |
| SECURIAN FINANCIAL GROUP INC | Saint Paul |
Sources:
* http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/27000.html
** http://www.bea.gov/regional/gsp/action.cfm
*** http://data.bls.gov:8080/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=62305ad6b0ba34226857
**** http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview6.asp?soccode=&stfips=27&from=State&id=11&nodeid=12