Housing rental vacancy rates dropped to 1.5 percent in Minneapolis-St. Paul, while the apartment vacancy rate in Rochester, Minn., has recently dropped as low as 0.5 percent. Consumer Spending and Tourism Recent retail sales grew at a modest pace. Sales at a North Dakota mall were up 2 percent to 4 percent for January compared with last year, while sales increased about 2 percent at a Minneapolis area mall, according to mall managers. A Montana mall reports flat sales for January compared with last year.
Businesses report solid winter tourism.
Snowmobiling traffic on trails in central and northern Minnesota reached a four-year high, according to an official. A chamber of commerce representative reports more business at restaurants and lodges in northwestern Wisconsin compared with last year. Most tourism areas in the Upper Peninsula are having a good year, but not a great one, according to a tourism official. Manufacturing Manufacturing activity continued to decrease. A January purchasing manager survey by Creighton University indicated slower manufacturing activity and weak new orders in Minnesota and in South Dakota.