Twin Cities workers saw declines in employment and hours during ICE crackdown

A payroll analysis found declines in the number of employees working, hours worked and business locations operating in the Twin Cities from Jan. 3 to Feb. 17, 2026, compared with expected levels.

Horizontal bar chart showing estimated declines in Twin Cities payroll activity from Jan. 3 to Feb. 17, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge. The number of employees working declined 2.8%, hours worked declined 1.9%, and business locations operating declined 1.7%, compared with expected levels. The bars are arranged from largest to smallest decline.

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Percentages represent estimated declines relative to expected activity, not percentage-point changes. The analysis covers Jan. 3 to Feb. 17, 2026, and compares Twin Cities payroll trends with those in other metropolitan areas.

Chart: Tom Gitaa @ Mshale NewspaperSource: Aaron Rosenthal and Aaron Sojourner, Twin Cities payroll analysisGet the data