As Duluth’s image improves, economic cup half empty/full

Duluth is the only metropolitan statistical area in Minnesota to see its gross domestic product decline in 2015 and 2016. That’s the subject of a story by Greta Kaul, data reporter for MinnPost.

But the news isn’t nearly as dire as it might sound.

Duluth continues to see modest growth in tourism, and small businesses are opening left and right. As for the GDP, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development released third quarter statistics showing a recent boom in iron ore exports, which should help boost the Duluth metro numbers for 2017:

Ores, slag and ash exports grew 769 percent, fueled by major growth in Canada ($88 million, up from $1 million) and Japan ($48 million, up from $4 million). Iron ores account for most of these products.

About 11 percent of the Duluth metro’s GDP comes from mining, and it’s an erratic industry.

Just three years ago, Duluth touted its status as the GDP growth leader in the state, increasing nearly twice as fast as the national average from 2009 to 2013.

6 Comments

Karasu

about 6 years ago

Good job to the graph maker for using three almost-identical shades of green in the same chart.

Helmut Flaag

about 6 years ago

Maybe our luster has been sagging at the gills like McConnell's jowls on Capitol Hills.  Speaking of robots, have you also noticed a plethora of bunnies around town? Thought I ran over one last night, but it vanished in hind sight. Maybe it hopped on a strut and got off like a Gremlin. Or went down a hole, and popped up in the Kremlin.

Speaking of rear views, has anyone seen this probe yet? I hope it's fast and bulbous running free and loose, releasing a torrent of phobia that flows like juice. Because if liberty and justice are dead, after America shit the bed, then it's time to clean the sheets or the spiders in your head.

Drill baby, drill.

vicarious

about 6 years ago

Is that you, Burly?

Helmut Flaag

about 6 years ago

Thank you. Yes it is Burly. The situation is both Knarly, Dire, and Burly. Yet it's also Sleazy, Horny, and Nasty. So I'll see you now and raise you one Vic, and doth protest it's also sick. Diseased, and likely demented. Because this shit storm is now cemented. So here's one more stanza of pure freedom rocks. You didn't find it here nor on Fox.

Steering the boat with his ass is this nutty fruit cup. He's got all your money on the up and up. With bloated white butt cheeks tweeting from a gold porcelain God, don't you think now it's all a little bit odd? There doesn't seem to be anyone at the helm, so now you're fucked and living in another realm. No need to apply sanity or reason. Whatever he says flies, fake news is treason. He steals from the poor and gives to the rich, because you can’t ever satisfy this greedy little bitch.

Pear Fitsimmons

about 6 years ago

Can anyone tell me why we're in such a giant metro area with the range? If mining is 11%, is that all on the range, and is there really any reason why Duluth itself isn't separate? This article makes it sound like duluth sucks. That's not true!

Helmut Flaag

about 6 years ago

And that Golden Arch you worship on London Road serves as a monument to the Orange Royal Toad. For the mountain of burgers he’s packed down his colon could never outweigh an ego so swollen.

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