The labor force declined by approximately 3% year-over-year in January and 2.5% year-over-year in February, which a local economist calls 'jaw-droppingly large.'
A line chart showing the monthly labor force participation in the St. Cloud, Minn. area in each January and February for the past decade. The labor force was gradually increasing or stable until early 2021, when it feel 2 to 3 percent down to about 110,000 participants.