According to DEED’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data, the 23-county Southwest Minnesota region was home to 1,113 health care and social assistance establishments providing 31,227 jobs in the third quarter of 2017. The sector accounted for 17.7 percent of total employment in the region, making it the second largest in the region, just behind manufacturing (32,579 jobs) but well ahead of retail trade (20,293 jobs). Statewide, 17.1 percent of jobs are in health care and social assistance, meaning health care is slightly more concentrated in Southwest Minnesota.