ST. PAUL — Minnesota is closing in on a milestone on the jobs front.

A report due today from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will reflect the state’s unemployment rate for August. But that report will also show if Minnesota has finally regained the jobs shed at the depth of the last economic recession.

As of last month, the state needed about 5,500 jobs to restore the employment level prior to the recession.

Today’s update will provide jobs figures for August. Minnesota’s unemployment rate in July stood at 5.2 percent, which was solidly below the national average. For the year, the state has added some 71,000 nonfarm jobs.