November is Celebrate Caring Careers Month – an opportunity to celebrate the people who make a difference every day in the lives of older adults, people with disabilities and people with behavioral health care needs across Minnesota. There are many employment opportunities in aging services, disability services and behavioral health services now – and projected high demand for at least the coming decade. There are opportunities throughout the state. Select the titles below to read more about Caring Careers employment in your part of Minnesota!
Central Minnesota Blog
As Central Minnesota's population ages, demand continues to grow for workers who provide hands-on care and help people maintain their health, safety and independence. Two occupations playing a particularly important role are Home Health and Personal Care Aides and Nursing Assistants. Both are identified as high-demand occupations in the region, but they serve somewhat different needs and work settings.
Northeast Minnesota Blog
Long-Term Care (LTC) is a subset of Health Care & Social Assistance that provides support for people with chronic conditions, disabilities or age-related needs over longer periods of time. Demand for LTC is expected to grow rapidly over the next several decades as our population ages, and demand for LTC workers is expected to grow correspondingly, creating thousands of openings and opportunities for workers looking to start or change careers. Many of these roles are in high demand, require less than a bachelor's degree, and are expected to grow faster than average (3.3%) in the region.
Northwest Minnesota Blog
Nursing Assistants rank first among the region's Occupations in Demand. Together with Home Health & Personal Care Aides and Registered Nurses, they account for three of the four highest-ranked occupations in Northwest Minnesota. These are not obscure career options with a handful of openings, they are large occupations with thousands of workers and with substantial regional demand.
Southeast Minnesota Blog
This blog examines "Assistant" occupations within the Healthcare Support group, including Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Nursing Assistants, Dental Assistants and Medical Assistants. These professionals are essential to patient care and recovery, helping individuals rebuild strength and independence after injury, manage chronic conditions, provide healthcare services and maintain quality of life across Southeast Minnesota.
Southwest Minnesota Blog
Caring Careers are a major and growing source of jobs in Southwest Minnesota, driven by an aging population and rising care needs across multiple residential and community‑based settings.Health Care is huge in Southwest Minnesota, providing nearly 33,000 jobs at more than 1,800 establishments. In 2026, Health Care & Social Assistance provided one in every five jobs in the region, and the concentration of healthcare employment has been increasing over time.
Twin Cities Metro Blog
Beyond the typical labor market information, we can also learn what these caring jobs are typically like on a day-to-day basis. O*Net Online is an excellent resource for gaining some of this knowledge. By surveying current workers, O*Net provides information about the tasks, work activities, essential and transferable skills, knowledge, education, abilities, interests and work styles for specific occupations. Nursing Assistants require essential skills including active listening, monitoring, critical thinking, reading comprehension and speaking. Some work styles include optimism, sincerity, empathy, self-control and social orientation.
- Talk with staff at a CareerForce location near you about training and employment opportunities
- View resources to Celebrate Caring Careers Month in November
- Access regional labor market information on the DEED website
