The federal labor department says Missouri had the third worst jobs decline in the country last year.
The department says employment dropped six tenths of a percent in 2010, compared to the number for 2009. Only Nevada and New Jersey look worse in the bureau’s calculations.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics figures Missouri has a civilian labor force of more than three million. But it says more than 285,000 of those people are unemployed and are looking for jobs.
