FOX 21 News reported that for the past year the Iron Range has suffered from idled mines and worker layoffs. But a string of good news has many asking, is the worst over?
Mr Clinton Newman of Hibbing said that "Well, I'm trying to find a job."
For people like Mr Newman, looking for work in the city with the highest unemployment rate in the state is an uphill battle.
Mr Jim Skurla of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics said that "This is as bad as it's been since WWII."
Since about December of 2008 unemployment rates on the Iron Range maintained frightening, double digits. The most recent numbers from the state place Hibbing at 16.1% unemployment, Virginia at 14.5% and Grand Rapids at 10.9%. But the upward climb has stopped, in fact, it's beginning to decline.
Mr Skurla said that "I think the Iron Range is either close or near the bottom of the economic cycle. Thanks to recent call backs at Iron Range mines, the Range is beginning to recover. We should see a slow growth. This was a deep recession and people got a long way to go to recover."
Northshore Mining Co is running two of four lines with all of its employees and United Taconite is on schedule to have workers at all facilities back to 40 hour weeks by November. Keetac workers should be recalled soon and Minntac has nearly all of its employees on the job, running four out of five lines.
At the Minnesota Workforce Center in Hibbing, Mr Charlotte Hanegmon is seeing a sense of optimism. He said that "I think attitudes have been buoyed by that improvement. There are statistical projections that the spring of 2010 looks good, but I think its going to be a rough winter."
Mr Jim Skurla of the Labovitz School said the recovery could be, jobless as employers are waiting for sales security before hiring new employees.
