How has Somali employment in Minnesota changed from 2010 to 2024 by labor‑force participation and employment rates?

1. Growth in participation: from marginalization toward parity with immigrant groups

Multiple local analyses and advocacy reports document that Somali Minnesotans moved from low workforce engagement in the years immediately after arrival toward substantially higher participation by the 2010s and into the 2020s; the Minnesota Chamber summarizes that workforce participation increased over that period and that Somali household economic indicators—poverty, income, education and homeownership—have shown improvement since the 2000s and early 2010s ^[1]. The Minneapolis Federal Reserve places African immigrant labor‑force participation broadly at 78 percent in 2012–2016, indicating robust engagement among African‑born workers in the state that includes many Somalis, and advocacy research and local press report Somali participation at roughly 70 percent by 2024 ^{[6] [2] [4]}.

2. Employment rates: more Somalis working but many still in low‑wage, precarious jobs

Reporting points to a higher share of Somalis in employment by 2024 compared with a decade earlier, with concentration in care work, food and animal‑food processing and other labor‑intensive sectors—over 15 percent in home health care and notable presence in food manufacturing—suggesting real job gains even as many jobs remain low paid ^[1]. Empowering Strategies and Star Tribune reporting both cite an employment or labor‑force participation rate around 70 percent for Somali Minnesotans in recent years, and the Minnesota Chamber’s analysis of sectoral employment corroborates increased workforce insertion even if wage and stability metrics lag ^{[2] [4] [1]}.

3. Persistent poverty and underemployment complicate the headline gains

Despite higher participation and more Somalis in work, poverty rates remained high in the community: the Center for Immigration Studies reports 37.5 percent of adult Somali immigrants living below the Census poverty line and more than half of Somali children in poverty as of their 2024 summary, and a legislative workforce‑development bill cited an historic Somali poverty rate of 58% and underemployment concerns—figures that underline how employment gains have not translated uniformly into economic security ^{[3] [7]}. That tension—rising participation but persistent poverty—suggests many Somali workers are in part‑time, entry‑level, or otherwise low‑paid positions even as overall employment counts increase ^{[7] [1]}.

4. Demography and data limits: rapid growth and incomplete series

Analysts warn that Minnesota’s Somali population grew substantially in the 2010s and into the early 2020s—reports place Somali ancestry counts over 75,000 by 2024—so raw employment totals can rise simply because the population base grew; that complicates percent‑change comparisons and requires caution in interpreting aggregate “more workers” statements without age‑ and cohort‑adjusted rates ^[3]. Moreover, there is no single consistent annual public series in the provided sources that traces Somali‑specific labor‑force participation and employment rates from 2010 through 2024, so conclusions rely on snapshots, sector studies and syntheses by local research groups and advocacy organizations ^{[2] [5]}.

5. Competing narratives and policy implications

The narrative choices in the sources reflect competing agendas: advocacy and business groups emphasize economic contributions and a roughly 70 percent participation figure to counter rhetoric that Somalis are economically marginal ^{[2] [4]}, while other reports stress persistent child poverty and high unemployment pockets to argue for targeted workforce and social supports ^{[3] [7]}. Policymakers cited in legislative proposals and chamber analyses point to workforce training and grants as necessary to convert participation into higher‑quality employment—a policy prescription consistent across sources given the documented sectoral concentration and poverty rates ^{[7] [1]}.