In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, photo, employees work at a shipping area of Generac Power Systems, Inc., one of the largest makers of residential generators in the U.S., in Whitewater, Wis. U.S. companies increased their stockpiles a steady pace in November from October, responding to a solid increase in sales.The Commerce Department said Tuesday that business inventories grew 0.3 percent in November, matching the October gain. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, photo, employees work at a shipping area of Generac Power Systems, Inc., one of the largest makers of residential generators in the U.S., in Whitewater, Wis. U.S. companies increased their stockpiles a steady pace in November from October, responding to a solid increase in sales.The Commerce Department said Tuesday that business inventories grew 0.3 percent in November, matching the October gain. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 file photo, apparel worker Misti Keeton sews military apparel in Fayette, Ala. The government reports on worker productivity and labor costs in the October-December quarter of 2012, on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)
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FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 file photo, Charlie Kline, left, works on a machine affixed with a "Made in the U.S.A." plate at the FesslerUSA apparel manufacture in Orwigsburg, Pa. The government reports on worker productivity and labor costs in the October-December quarter of 2012, on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
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FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 file photo, Bark Aro works on an assembly line at Generac Power Systems, Inc., one of the largest makers of residential generators in the country, in Whitewater, Wis. The government reports on worker productivity and labor costs in the October-December quarter of 2012, on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
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In this Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, photo, perspective job seekers talk with employers during a job fair in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid jumped last week, though the increase mostly reflected difficulties the government has seasonally adjusting its numbers. Applications are still at levels signaling modest hiring. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
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In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2012, photo, Norma Urbario, left, and America Rodriguez stand in line, holding their resumes, during the job fair that the Miami Marlins hosted at Marlins Park in Miami. The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid jumped last week, though the increase mostly reflected difficulties the government has seasonally adjusting its numbers. Applications are still at levels signaling modest hiring. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
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In this Wed. Dec. 5, 2012, photo, containers are unloaded from cargo ships at the Port of Los Angeles. Most economists agree that the snapshot of U.S. economic growth released Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2012, is going to look dismal. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
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In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo, a cashier hands a customer his change and receipt during a transaction at a Sears store, in Henderson, Nev. Consumers spent and earned more in November, reflecting a rebound from the disruptions caused by Superstorm Sandy. The Commerce Department says, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, consumer spending rose 0.4 percent compared with October. Personal income jumped 0.6 percent, the biggest gain in 11 months. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan will meet senior government and business officials in India.
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In this Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 photo, a container ship passes the Florida Power & Light Port Everglades Plant on its way to unload its cargo at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. U.S. wholesale businesses increased their stockpiles in September at the fastest pace in nine months and their sales jumped by the largest amount in 18 months, the Commerce Department announced Friday, Nov. 9, 2012. The increases point to stronger economic growth. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Twin Cities leads Midwest in economic recovery
MINNEAPOLIS (
AP) — The Twin Cities economy is faring better than the other major metropolitan areas in the Midwest, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"We're showing improvement that's somewhat stronger than the nation as a whole," said Steve Hine, labor market economist at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. "We've got a somewhat higher concentration of higher-skilled employment, and that's also been a source of some of our strength and would translate into more rapid GDP growth."
Minneapolis-St. Paul's economic output grew 1.5 percent between 2008 and 2011, while Chicago, Detroit and most of the region's other big cities lost ground, according to the data.
The $207.8 billion economy of the Twin Cities accounts for about three-quarters of Minnesota's economic output. Before the downturn from 2001 to 2007, the area's economy grew at an average rate of 1.9 percent, a pace of growth to which it returned in 2011, according to the Star Tribune (http://bit.ly/YJAFaU ).
The unemployment in Minneapolis-St. Paul is at 5.1 percent, compared with a national average of 7.9 percent.
Of major cities from Cleveland to Kansas City, only Milwaukee and the Twin Cities recovered the economic activity they lost in the downturn. Milwaukee's output grew 0.4 percent.
The Twin Cities benefits from the relatively high proportion of better paying jobs at big companies like 3M and Medtronic. For instance, if companies in each of three cities were to all add one employee, the city where the highest-paid workers are hired will see more economic growth than the others, Hine said.
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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
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