Minnesota’s Economic News — W/E 7/17/26

Regulation

KSTP: Business owners await decision this month on whether paid leave payroll tax will go up

KSTP: Minnesota’s Paid Family Leave program paying out nearly $600M. Is wage tax funding enough to keep it going?

St. Cloud Times: Minnesota paid leave demand cools after early surge

Minnesota Reformer: Minnesota’s paid leave rollout was a success. Here’s what we can learn from that

MinneapoliMedia: Minnesota Paid Leave Reaches 75,000 Workers and Distributes Nearly $600 Million in First Six Months

Alpha News: Minnesotans could see increase in paid leave tax as results of new study expected this month

State and local taxes and spending

KTTC: Possible property tax impacts as Rochester eyes riverfront redevelopment

Rochester Post Bulletin: Rochester weighs tax options to fund $55M year-round sports dome

Fox 9: Osseo resident on property taxes to fund proposed dispensary: ‘It’s disgusting’

WCCO: Plans for municipal cannabis store in Osseo meet pushback at town hall

KROC: Rochester Council Weighs Funding Options for Proposed Mega-Dome 

MinneapoliMedia: Minnesota Closes Fiscal Year With General Fund Revenue $248 Million Above Forecast

InForum: Minnesota school board will ask voters for a ‘tax increase’ that would cut taxes

The Globe: Constitutional amendment on Minnesota’s Permanent School Fund deserves support

Star Tribune: Minneapolis city leaders reckon with projected $33 million budget gap

KSTP: Anoka-Hennepin School Board addresses petition to increase taxes, frustrations remain

Y105FM: Minnesota’s Liquor Tax Rate Compared To Neighboring States 

Agriculture

Star Tribune: Minnesota farm bankruptcies rise as farm economy turns ‘uneasy’

Minn Post: Minnesota bankruptcies rise as a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges roils farm country

Economic growth

Bring Me the News: CNBC ranks Minnesota as fifth best state for business in 2026

Star Tribune: Ramstad: Why Minnesota’s labor crunch is becoming permanent

Economic development

Pioneer Press: Commentary: Minnesota can’t afford to turn away the infrastructure of the future

Labor market

Fox 9: Minnesota reports third month of job growth in 2026

Star Tribune: Minnesota sees ‘phenomenal’ job growth, but workforce keeps shrinking

MinneapoliMedia: Minnesota Adds 13,200 Jobs in June, but Shrinking Labor Force and Weak Wage Growth Complicate Recovery

Pioneer Press: Minnesota adds 13,200 jobs in June, unemployment at 4.4%

KIMT 3: MN job growth rebounds for third straight month in June

AM 1100: Minnesota records third month of job growth

KAAL TV: Minnesota job growth increases for the third month in a row

KEYC: Minnesota adds 13,200 jobs in June

Kare 11: Minnesota gains +13K jobs in June