Unemployment among Minnesota's African-Americans is at about 20 percent, which nearly triples the seven percent rate among white residents.

Unemployment benefits in Minnesota will end after 46 weeks, instead of the current 60. The Department of Employment and Economic Development says the unemployment rate has been below six percent for three months, which triggers the reduction.

A new study shows Minneapolis-St. Paul leading the nation in a category no one is celebrating: of 19 major metropolitan areas, the Twin Cities metro area has the widest gap in unemployment rate between blacks and whites. The jobless rate of black unemployed workers is 3 times higher than it is for whites.

The state jobless rate remained unchanged at 5.6 percent even as Minnesota employers shed 900 jobs in May, according to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development. The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.2 percent last month.

A new study finds that the gap is narrowing between the amount of households in rural Minnesota and Twin Cities-area that have some form of Internet access. A new study released by the Center for Rural Policy and Development said 70.6 percent of households have some form of broadband Internet access, as opposed to with the 79.2 percent of households in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul market ranked 48th out of 102 metropolitan areas on the Business Journal's On Numbers Economic Index. Private-sector job growth, unemployment earnings and home values are among the factors considered in the 18-part formula. Oklahoma City topped the list.