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Updated 05/22/2015 <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Regional Economic Impact of Cass County, ND and Clay County, MN <br /> <br />GFMEDC Mission <br />The mission of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) is to <br />grow and diversify the economy in Cass County, N.D. and Clay County, Minn. through the <br />attraction, retention and expansion of primary sector businesses. Primary sector businesses are <br />those that export the majority of their goods and services outside the community and therefore <br />bring new wealth into the economy. Primary sector businesses can be located anywhere because <br />they are not tied geographically to their customer base. Examples of primary sector industries <br />include manufacturing, back office operations and technology. <br /> <br />FM MSA Economy <br />The Fargo Moorhead metropolitan statistical area (FM MSA) is defined as Cass County, N.D. and <br />Clay County, Minn. The Census Bureau population estimate was 220,134 in 2014. In December <br />2014, the most recent month for which data is available, the labor force, or those people either <br />employed or seeking employment, was 124,877. Of this, 121,318 people were employed, for an <br />unemployment rate of 2.9%, the ninth lowest in the United States; Midland, TX had the lowest at <br />2.1%. <br /> <br />The gross domestic product (GDP) for 2013 of the FM MSA was estimated at approximately $14.5 <br />billion by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The GDP for the state of North Dakota during the same <br />time period was approximately $56.3 billion; Minnesota’s GDP was $312 billion. GDP is not <br />available on a county basis. <br /> <br />The FM MSA economy is very diverse, which has contributed to our comparatively strong <br />performance during the recession. This is illustrated in the following chart, which shows <br />employment by industry for December 2014: <br /> <br />Industry Classification Employment <br />Mining, Logging, and Construction 9,000 <br />Manufacturing 10,300 <br />Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 30,900 <br />Information 3,300 <br />Financial Activities 10,100 <br />Professional and Business Services 15,800 <br />Educational and Health Services 22,300 <br />Leisure and Hospitality 14,600 <br />Other Services 5,200 <br />Government 18,500 <br />Total non-farm jobs 140,000 <br /> <br /> <br />51 Broadway ▪ Suite 500 <br />Fargo, ND 58102 <br /> 701.364.1900 <br />Fax 701.293.7819