The oil boom in the Bakken region has attracted a great deal of media attention regarding the state's thriving workforce and employment opportunities. And, indeed, has resulted in a large increase in non-farm jobs over the past several years in a state previously known primarily for its agriculture. North Dakota experienced some of the steepest job gains, year after year, until recently this year when has lost a number of jobs due to the collapse of oil prices.

How do we track those changes? Where does one go to get reliable information?
 

North Dakota Compass provides an overview of the Economy and Workforce topic areas that highlight data from various sources, one of which is  the Labor Market Information Center (LMIC) of Job Service North Dakota, which provides the best and most up-to-date labor market information in the state. In this month's Ask a Researcher column Michael Ziesch, the LMIC manager, describes the type of data available, how can it be accessed, and how to obtain more specific or more detailed information from LMIC.
 

As job change can be difficult to navigate on an individual level, John Trombley, the Village Business Institute's Consulting and Training Manager, joins us in this month's For Discussion column to share his perspective on successful career change and how the VBI can help an individual navigate that transition.