As
noted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and compiled by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state's employers reported nearly 50,000 job openings during the fourth quarter of 2011. That's an increase of nearly 48 percent compared to the same period of 2010.
Another significant number: there were 3.2 unemployed people per job opening in the recent fourth quarter, compared with 5.8 per vacancy in the year before.
About 11 percent of employers surveyed by DEED planned to hire more people in the next six months, and 83 percent noted that they didn't expect staffing levels to change.