4 December 2008Labor analyst forecasts new jobs on Iron Range
The national economy is treading water.
But there’s still reason for optimism on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range as several major economic development projects continue to move ahead.
Drew Digby, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Regional Labor Market Analyst recently told Range Readiness Initiative Strategy Team members that he projects 700 new direct jobs, 1,180 spin-off jobs and 1,970 peak temporary jobs will be created from three big projects currently underway on the Mesabi Iron Range.
The three projects – Minnesota Power’s $200 million environmental retrofit of its Boswell Energy Center Unit 3 electrical generation facility in Cohasset; Essar Steel Minnesota’s $1.65 billion steelmaking facility near Nashwauk; and Mesabi Nugget’s $235 million iron nugget plant near Aurora and Hoyt Lakes will together create 1,940 new permanent jobs, said Digby. That figure includes the 760 direct jobs and 1,180 spin-off jobs. Video from the Essar Steel Minnesota and Mesabi Nugget construction sites can be viewed here at “RangeViews.”
If a proposed 3.6 million ton, $360 million iron ore expansion at U.S. Steel’s Keetac plant in Keewatin moves forward along with PolyMet Mining Corp.’s $602 million copper, nickel and precious metals mine near Hoyt Lakes, a total of 1,200 direct jobs, 1,880 spin-off jobs and 2,520 peak temporary jobs would be created on the Mesabi Iron Range, according to Digby.
As a result of the economic slowdown, some older workers are expected to remain in the workforce for longer periods of time, said Digby. However, northeastern Minnesota over the next 10 years will still need to add from 15,000 to 40,000 people to the labor force to meet the needs of new projects and growth in the health care, professional and technical services industries, he said.
What that means, said Digby, is that northeastern Minnesota needs to develop strategies to retain more college students, slow worker outmigration, increase worker migration into the region, seek increased job participation from new sectors of workers, utilize older workers and decrease unemployment rates.
In anticipation of new jobs and a growing population on the Iron Range, a master-planned housing community that would create 900 new homes near the Chisholm-Hibbing Airport is being proposed by Housing Minnesota, according to a Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008 Hibbing Daily Tribune story written by Jeff Warner.
Housing availability, workforce development, education, training and business opportunity challenges are being addressed by the Range Readiness Initiative. The initiative is a group of private and public regional leaders from across northeastern Minnesota collaborating to help prepare the region for the challenges and opportunities associated with large-scale economic growth. For additional information on the projects and the Range Readiness Initiative, go to www.rangereadiness.com