The Department of Economic Development says Missouri’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest point since September 2008.
The unemployment rate in Missouri fell to six point five percent- its lowest point in 52 months during January 2013. Missouri’s unemployment rate has now been lower than the national unemployment rate, which is at 7.9, for 41 consecutive months.
Spokesman John Fougere with the Department of Economic Development says the unemployment rate fell over three full points in the last three and a half years and he says that’s going in the right direction.
Fougere says the impressive part about Missouri’s low unemployment rate is the overall trend which he says is what’s emphasized every month. “Although we had a month where there was some jobs lost, or the jobs gained total can fluxuate through a number of variables every month, so we look at the long-term trend,” Fougere says.
He adds it’s also positive for the state economy. “Just two or three years ago, CNBC did a rating of the top and most diverisified state economies in the nation,” he says. “Missouri came in fourth because we have stregths in so many areas such as agriculture, finance, and transportation. There’s so many areas where Missouri does well.”
However, the state’s payrolls decreased by 4,700 jobs in January 2013.
AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:04)