Jun. 27—JAMESTOWN — The North Dakota Department of Commerce’s Workforce Development Council has worked to attract out-of-state talent, including domestic and foreign-born workers, according to Katie Ralston Howe, deputy commissioner for the Commerce Department.
The state has a 2.1% unemployment rate with a labor participation rate of 69.5%, one of the highest in the nation, Ralston Howe said at the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.’s annual meeting Wednesday, June 25, at Harold Newman Arena.
In 2020 and 2021, the state’s workforce participation rate dropped due to economic shifts caused by the coronavirus pandemic and changes in North Dakota’s oil and gas industry, she said. She said total employment was at 395,000.
“Now, according to the 2024 annual report released by Job Service (North Dakota), our total average employment last year was 424,030 workers,” Ralston Howe said. “It’s important to keep in mind that a 1% increase in our workforce is 4,000 workers, so an increase of 30,000 workers over the last four years is no small feat. We’re also seeing this growth reflected in our population, earning North Dakota the No. 1 ranking in net migration.”
Ralston Howe said the state of North Dakota is using a hands-on approach to support out-of-state job seekers and helping them relocate. She said the Find the Good Life in North Dakota national talent attraction initiative uses software to collect information for job seekers and connect them with communities and employers in the state.
“Although not all job seekers engage enough to be tracked, we know that individuals from all 50 states and 25 countries are considering a move to North Dakota,” she said. “Our confirmed movers haven’t just moved to larger cities like Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot. They’ve also moved to communities like Bottineau, Towner, Cooperstown, Killdeer, Beulah, Harvey, LaMoure and Jamestown.”
She said those job seekers filled positions in health care, hospitality, human resources, accounting, information technology, education, retail, manufacturing and more.
Ralston Howe said the state faces challenges in getting out-of-state job seekers to North Dakota. She said challenges include lack of awareness about the state, high relocation costs, employer perceptions and willingness to consider out-of-state candidates and communities that are prepared to support growth.
She said 80% of the job seekers through the Find the Good Life initiative say they have never been to North Dakota.
“Knowing this gives us the opportunity to cater our messaging in a way that helps them learn about what we have to offer,” she said.
She said Forbes reported the average cost of a cross-country move for one person is $4,600.
“That can climb up to $15,000 depending upon family size and distance that they’re moving,” she said. “These numbers are actually lower than what we’ve heard from many of the movers we supported through Find the Good Life with several stating their relocation costs were more than $20,000.”
Ralston Howe said the Relocation Opportunity for Outstanding Talent grant program offers employers a one-for-one match up to $5,000 per employee to help offset relocation costs for out-of-state workers to move to North Dakota.
She also said it takes time for out-of-state people to move to North Dakota. She said they need to find secure employment for spouses, sell a house, find a new house and child care.
“A lot of stars need to align,” she said.
Ralston Howe said some employers in North Dakota are cautious about seeing out-of-state addresses on resumes and question the legitimacy of the job seeker.
“I’m here to tell you that if a candidate is coming to you from Find the Good Life, they’re serious about North Dakota and they’re serious about your companies,” she said. “
She said the state needs communities that are prepared to support growth.
“With limited availability of affordable housing and child care, a critical need for more health care workers, teachers, law enforcement and skilled trades professionals, we are simply not able to support the kind of growth we need to fill our jobs and grow our economy,” Ralston Howe said.
Ralston Howe also highlighted the Regional Workforce Impact Program that has had an impact on Jamestown. In Jamestown, $1.6 million has been awarded through the program to five child care projects, expanding capacity by 303 children.
She said the Regional Workforce Impact Program has awarded $27 million to 115 projects statewide. She said that leveraged over $16 million in local match investments.
The JSDC administered more than $855,000 through the Flex PACE and PACE programs in 2024 that leveraged almost $1.9 million in grants from the Bank of North Dakota, according to Casey Henderson, vice president of the JSDC Board of Directors. That resulted in more than $24.5 million in investments in community projects that the JSDC participated in, he said.
Corry Shevlin, CEO of JSDC, said staff and the JSDC board are working on advancing plans for housing developments in Jamestown. He said housing is key to attracting employees to move to Jamestown.
“We recognize that and continue to work on those projects,” he said. “Hopefully to have some dirt moving this summer, we continue to look for additional ways to leverage resources, primarily from the state of North Dakota and federal government … “
Shevlin said JSDC is helping to continue the advancement of projects at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association’s industrial park at Spiritwood that includes existing and future tenants.
He also said staff and board members will update the JSDC’s strategic plan later this year.
Pingree Transload, a grain processing, handling and transportation facility near Pingree, received the Growing Jamestown Award. The criteria for the award include the business currently working with JSDC or having done so in the past and the business having a positive influence on the local economy.
The Community Development Award went to 201 Aesthetics, a locally-owned medical aesthetics clinic offering personalized treatments in skin care, injectables and wellness. The Community Development Award recognizes recipients as great assets to the community by providing services, activities and other opportunities that enrich the lives of the residents.