Economic Lookout: Eye on the Range
MinnEcon note: We're pleased to launch a regular feature called Economic Lookouts -- Minnesotans in MPR's Public Insight Network sharing first-person accounts of the economy around them.
It's a natural next step for MinnEcon. We've really tried to let the economic stories and insights of Minnesotans drive what you see here. With Economic Lookouts, we'll let folks talk directly about the economy as they see it.
Today, Aaron Brown, gives us a read on the Iron Range. He writes the MinnesotaBrown blog and teaches communication at Hibbing Community College.
The Range has struggled in the recession. Hibbing unemployment spiked to nearly 19 percent last year. It's better now but still higher than the rest of Minnesota.
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"We need a dose of creativity and we need a dose of 21st century thinking to get us out of this mess," Brown says in his video. "We're not there yet."
Check out Brown's report and then post your own thoughts below.
Interested in being an Economic Lookout? Contact us directly at MinnEcon.
Unemployment in Hibbing (click on the chart for a larger view).
Source: Department of Employment and Economic Development
Aaron Brown is the author of "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" and the MinnesotaBrown blog. He teaches communication at Hibbing Community College.
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Want to be an Economic Lookout? Drop us a line.