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Report: MN Unemployment Rate Fell In Dec.

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- The unemployment rate in Minnesota continued to fall last month in what is being referred to as the state's biggest four-month decrease on record.

The Department of Employment and Economic Development reported the unemployment rate fell 0.2 percent in December to 5.7 percent overall.

In all, 7,900 jobs were added last month. There were 25,300 jobs added throughout 2011, according to DEED. Of those, the most were in education and health services.

The fields that saw the greatest job losses last year were in government, information, and logging and mining.

"The Minnesota unemployment rate continues to move in the right direction, reaching its lowest level since September 2008," said DEED commissioner Mark Phillips.

DEED reported the metro areas that saw the greatest increases in employment were Mankato (which was up 2.3 percent), Rochester (1.4 percent) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (1.2 percent).

Duluth and St. Cloud saw overall job losses.

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