Politics

Missouri Unemployment Rate Hits 49-Month Low, But There's A Catch

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published December 18, 2012 at 12:47 PM CST

Missouri’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest point in four years.

November’s jobless rate is at 6.7 percent, down from 6.9 percent in October. At the same time, though, the state lost 6,800 non-farm jobs last month. John Fougere is with the Missouri Department of EconomicDevelopment.

“There’ll be blips from time to time, but we never focus on any one month of data when it comes to the number of jobs gained or lost, but instead the overall trend," Fougere said. "Right now the overall trend of Missouri’s economy appears to be positive.”

Missouri’s November rate is one full percentage point below the national rate of 7.7 percent. Fougere says it’s the 39th month in a row that Missouri’s unemployment rate has been lower than the nation’s unemployment rate.

“The state has created about 31,000 net new jobs since last December…with the unemployment rate plummeting as it has, now, it’s down three full percentage point since 2009," Fougere said. "Missouri’s labor force is growing now -- we’ve had 21,000 return to the labor force in the past three months, so that’s going in the right direction as well.”

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.