State demographer: Minnesota workforce growth slowed by aging and low birth rates; international migration now key source of workers

Susan Brower, the state demographer, told the Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 29 that Minnesota’s labor force has grown only slowly this decade, driven mainly by population aging and lower birth rates.

Brower said about 58% of the large baby‑boom cohort has moved into retirement and that births have declined, producing “very, very slow growth” in workers unless migration increases. “Without the contribution of migration from other states or from other countries, we can expect this very, very slow growth to continue into the future,” Brower said.

Brower placed recent changes in longer historical context. Teen labor‑force participation fell from about 61% in 2000 to roughly 50% in 2010 and was about 53% in 2023. Participation among people in their mid‑ to late‑20s rose; Brower said labor‑force participation was about 90.5% for people aged 25 to 29 in 2023. Participation by older workers also rose: she said participation for 60‑to‑64‑year‑olds increased from about 55% in 2010 to 66% in 2023.

Those…