Employment, Wages, and Prices Employers still have difficulty filling positions. A Chamber of Commerce survey of businesses in Duluth, Minn., found widespread concerns over worker availability. A task force in Montana found that the state could face a shortfall of between 100 and 300 teachers next year. In Minnesota, about 1,700 nursing jobs are unfilled. In addition, a new door manufacturing plant in northern Wisconsin will create 300 jobs and a telemarketing firm in Bismarck, N.D., plans to hire 50 more workers.
Wages continue to rise at a moderate pace.
The September St. Cloud State University business survey reveals that 54 percent of respondents expect higher employee compensation at their companies over the next six months. Wis. Large price increases are reported in energy and employee benefits, while overall price increases remain modest. A Minnesota-based utility said that its natural gas customers could face heating bills that are 35 percent to 50 percent higher than last winter, while Montana Power Co. is seeking a 12 percent increase in electric rates and a 9 percent increase in natural gas rates. Health insurance rates for St. Paul public school teachers are up about 15 percent over last year. Regarding overall price increases, the St. Cloud State University survey shows that 63 percent of respondents reported no change or a decrease in prices received for their products in September compared with three months ago, up from 56 percent of respondents in the June survey.