The unemployment rate is rising at an alarming rate in Minnesota. The situation is becoming worse day by day. Since January 20,700 jobs have been lost in Minnesota as indicated by The Department of Employment & Economic Development. The current Minnesota unemployment rate is 7.6% which is quite high as compared to the unemployment rate of 6.9% in December. 2008 saw a loss of 75,000 jobs in Minnesota, a state whose unemployment rate has generally been lower than the rest of the country.

It seems that the policies of Pawlenty, Minnesota’s Governor for past six years, has caused the state’s transition from excellent to average. Today, the state has a high budget deficit, lack of human services but still this isn’t enough for the Governor to start looking for some new policies.

What is required is that the state leaders adopt certain cost – cutting measures while keeping an eye out for opportunities to create revenue. The focus should be for prosperity in long term. It is high time now to think about how to get Minnesota back on track.