North Dakota is recruiting workers from around the nation
Reflecting pools and floral displays of the International Peace Garden span the border between North Dakota and Manitoba
North Dakota has emerged unscathed from the economic meltdown and is becoming a leader on the employment front. As if sharing the International Peace Garden with Canada weren’t generous enough, North Dakota is now actively promoting employment opportunities throughout the United States.
A low unemployment rate
In May the state tied with Nebraska for the nation’s lowest unemployment rate. While the national unemployment rate rose to a 26-year high of 9.4% in May, North Dakota and Nebraska hovered at a mere 4.4%. Last month, North Dakota added 3,000 openings to its roster of jobs.
For payday lenders in North Dakota this news is a mixed bag. More jobs means more people can qualify for payday cash advance in Nebraskas; but it also means that fewer people will need the extra cash.
A diverse range of industries
Labor experts attribute North Dakota’s good fortune to its diverse range of industries. All sectors are seeing growth, even the oil industry, which had contracted significantly after last year’s price spike. Mining, construction, and agriculture have all experienced double-digit employment growth since 2000. Health care and transportation are also key industries.
An open-door policy
State officials haven’t kept their relative prosperity a secret. The state Commerce Department has promoted job opportunities — as well as quality of life — in Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota through a marketing campaign called “Experience North Dakota.” There are 9,000 positions posted on Job Service North Dakota.
A call to the unemployed
North Dakota is actually benefiting from the national recession. Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, an engineering consulting firm based in Bismarck told CNN that it now receives resumes from around the country whenever it posts an opening, even if it’s in a rural area. For instance, a civil engineering job in a community with less than 25,000 residents garnered 40 applicants.
A fiscal surplus and tax cuts
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2008 North Dakota had an economic growth rate of 7.3%, twice that of all the other states except Wyoming. The largest contributors to the growth rate were agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing. Unlike nearly all other states that are battling fiscal deficits, North Dakota has a fiscal surplus. In the midst of a nationwide recession, North Dakota officials approved property and income tax cuts of nearly $400 in April.
The Northern Improvement Company, for instance, is still hiring because North Dakota and its towns are still funding road, airport, and municipal improvement projects. The 74-year-old, Fargo-based firm continues to add workers as it usually does, and is currently looking for truck drivers for the summer season.
A few slowdowns
North Dakota hasn’t been immune to the recession. Its current unemployment rate of 4.4% is up from 3.3% a year ago, its 9,000 job listings are down from 15,000 last year, and there have been mass layoffs. Last year’s plunge in oil prices significantly reduced the number of active oil rigs in the state, although the recent recovery in prices has led to more hiring in the industry.
