Bill passed giving hiring preference to military vets

Minnesota businesses will be allowed to give military veterans a preference in hiring under a bill passed by the state Legislature. The Senate passed the bill last month and the House passed it on Monday, sending it to Gov. Mark Dayton for his signature, the Pioneer Press report.

Read more in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Construction sector gains 4,200 jobs in January

Minnesota’s construction sector added 4,200 jobs in January – a lift for a sector that lost tens of thousands of jobs during the Great Recession, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development reported Thursday. Overall, Minnesota added 15,500 jobs in the first month of 2012, and the state’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 5.6 percent, well below the national rate of 8.3.

Read more in Finance & Commerce.

MSHA: Compliance improves at metal, nonmetal mines

Overall compliance with safety and health regulations is improving among the nation’s more than 12,000 metal and nonmetal mining operations, MSHA announced. Preliminary data indicates a 14 percent decrease in citations and orders issued at these mines – 74,373 in 2010 compared to 64,186 in 2011. Furthermore, significant and substantial citations and orders decreased from 33 percent in 2010 to 28 percent in 2011. Recent data shows that impact inspections and the pattern of violations program also are contributing to improvements in compliance, the administration noted.

Read more in Pit & Quarry.

Editorial: Minnesota's recession lessons

Minnesota fared better than some places through the recent recession, and appears to be emerging faster. Brainpower traditions and an educated workforce are among factors that made the last few years better than they might have been.

Read more in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.