New figures from the Labor Department say only two states gained more jobs in April than Missouri did. The addition of 20,000 jobs in April is the good news. The less-good news is that Missouri is still 50,000 jobs below its peak in August of 2000, and the unemployment rate last month is four-tenths of a percent higher than it was in April of 2001. More than a third of the 20,000 jobs added in April are in the leisure and hospitality industry, which usually sees job growth as spring approaches and tourism begins to bounce back after the winter.
