STRICTLY BUSINESS: EMPLOYMENT SCENE CHANGES WITH SEASONS

The employment scene changes with the seasons.

This is the season of travel, tourism and construction in Missouri, and the state's employment report reflects that, with heavy increases in these categories.

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations report for April -- the latest available -- shows 20,600 more Missourians were employed in April than March. April employment was 2,830,700.

More than 6,900 jobs were added in amusement and recreational services. Another 5,000 jobs were added to hotels and lodging facilities and eating and drinking establishments.

It's that time of year when employers start to hire employees for travel- and tourism-related industries, noted Sandra M. Moore, director of the department.

Some 3,900 jobs were added in April in the construction and building industries.

The state's unemployment rate in April was 4.1 percent, same as March, but down 0.4 percent from April 1995.

The employment picture could get better.

Many positions are available in a number of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois businesses, ranging from nurses, training coordinators, counselors, bookkeepers, chefs and salesmen to construction workers, truck drivers, restaurant servicers, housekeepers and others.

There are jobs for people in almost every category, according to the Missouri Job Service's Cape Girardeau office, which keeps tabs on employment throughout three counties.

Statistics speak for themselves.

Only 1,846 workers are unemployed in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties. That may seem like a large number, but consider that the combined work force is near 50,000. That translates into about 95 percent employment in the three-county area.

Improved summer hiring

Hiring is expected to improve this summer, led by a pickup in the construction industry and continued strength in the Midwest, according to an Employment Outlook Survey released last week by Manpower Inc., the nation's leading temporary employment company.

The Manpower report found that 27 percent of businesses surveyed nationally expect to increase employment in the third quarter, up from 26 percent in the second quarter. In the third quarter of 1995, 28 percent intended to expand their work forces.

The outlook is even more favorable in Southeast Missouri.

Some 31 percent of area companies that participated in the survey foresee more workers on their payroll during the third quarter while only 3 percent predict cutting personnel.

"Hiring projections for the third quarter are among the strongest of the year," said Barbara Larkins, manager of the local Manpower office. Summertime job opportunities are expected in non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation/public utilities, wholesale/retail trade and services.

Based on the latest work force numbers, the rate of employment is 95.6 percent, in Cape Girardeau County. April figures show 33,786 jobs, with 1,419 people unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent.

Perry County, with 9,736 workers, has the best unemployment rate in the area at 4 percent, with only 101 people without jobs.

Perry and Bollinger counties are served by the Cape Girardeau Job Service office. Bollinger, which counts 5,028 workers in its labor force, posted a 6.5 unemployment rate in April, with 326 workers without jobs.

World's largest industry

Travel and tourism is the world's largest industry and the second largest in Missouri, second only to the manufacturing sector.

The World Council on Travel and Tourism estimated that travel and tourism contributed about $3.4 trillion to the world economy and provided employment for 212 million, or more than 11 percent of all the jobs in the world, in 1995.

Over the past decade, the travel business has served as a solid generator of jobs and economic development, and that trend is expected to continue. By the year 2005, the industry is expected to have added another 93 million jobs worldwide.

The tourism and travel industry has also contributed significantly to the economy in Missouri and Illinois.

The Certec Inc. report for 1995 says the industry contributed more than $15 billion to the Missouri economy in 1994, up almost 6 percent from 1994.

Illinois tourism was a $15.9 billion industry in 1995, ranking it among to top five states in economic impact. Illinois Bureau of Tourism Director Donna Shaw predicts tourism will continue to grow to a $29 billion business by 2000.

Certec is contracted by the Missouri Division of Tourism to assess tourism's economic impact to the state.

According to the Certec Report, tourist and travelers spent more than $311,530,992 in 1994, up more than 3 percent from 1993 totals.

Cape Girardeau County receives big benefits from the industry. Travelers spent $40.8 million in the county in 1994, while providing 836 jobs with an annual payroll of more than $22.3 million. Statewide, more than 250,000 jobs were due to travel expenditures, Certec concludes. This represents 10.7 percent of all jobs in the state. In the 18-county region of Southeast Missouri, 6,375 jobs were attributed to tourism, with a payroll of $86.2 million.

Tourism creates jobs in industries that span the entire economy -- services, retail, manufacturing, transportation and other jobs. Some 10,081 manufacturing jobs and more than 3,600 construction jobs were generated from the spending of tourists.

Southeast Missouri tourism

Following are totals compiled by the U.S. Travel Data Center for counties in Southeast Missouri. The county totals were based on the 1994 calendar year.

Cape Girardeau County: Travelers spent more than $40.8 million, directly generating 836 jobs and $11.3 million in wages and salaries.

Bollinger County: $570,200 spent; 11 jobs and $132,687 in wages and salaries.

Butler County: $51.3 million spent; 1,051 jobs and $14.2 million in wages and salaries.

Dunklin County: $1.9 million spent; 40 jobs; $538,475 in wages and salaries.

Madison County: $2.2 million spent; 46 jobs and $647,400 in wages and salaries.

Mississippi Co., $6 million; 123 jobs and $1.7 million in wages and salaries

New Madrid County: $10.6 million spent; 217 jobs and $2.9 million in wages and salaries.

Pemiscot County: $8.2 million spent; 168 jobs; $3.3 million in wages and salaries.

Perry County: $4.8 million spent; 99 jobs and $1.3 million in wages and salaries.

Scott County: $20.6 million spent; 422 jobs and $5.7 million in wages and salaries.

Ste. Genevieve County: $17.1 million spent; 350 jobs and $4.7 million in wages and salaries.

Stoddard County: $6.5 million spent; 134 jobs and $1.8 million in wages and salaries.

St. Francois County: $30 million; 614 jobs and $8.3 million in wages and salaries.

Wayne County, $37.6 million; 769 jobs and $10.43 million in wages and salaries.

Southeast Missouri's Ozark and River Heritage Regions (total of 18 counties), $311.8 million spent; 6,375 jobs and $86.2 million in wages and salaries.

Star Dust -- Atlantic City

Boyd Gaming Corp. and Mirage Resorts Inc. have joined to develop and operate a casino hotel in the Marina District of Atlantic City.

The new "Star Dust-Atlantic City" will be adjacent and connected to Mirage's planned resort.

The $500 million project is contingent on approval and funding by government authorities of highway improvement necessary to accommodate additional traffic.

Boyd Gaming, headquartered in Las Vegas, is the developer for a proposed riverboat casino project in downtown Cape Girardeau.

'Rollin' on the river

Missouri gambling revenue for April was $46.1 million, up 18 percent from April 1995, but, year-ago totals were based on four casino facilities. Aztar opened in late April, and Harrah's and Sam's Town opened later in the year.

Station Casino St. Charles, with two facilities, led the state, winning $11.3 million, with Harrah's of North Kansas City second with $10.6 million.

Other operations and totals are The Admiral Casino in downtown St. Louis, $6 million; Argosy Gaming Casino, Riverside, $8 million; Sam's Town, Kansas City, $6.2 million; Aztar Casino, Caruthersville, $2.1 million; and St. Joe Frontier, St. Joseph, $1.8 million.

Illinois gambling winnings were $103.9 million in April, led by the Grand Victoria in Elgin, with $19.5 million.

St. Louis area riverboat casinos in Illinois include the Casino Queen, with $11.3 million in winnings and the Alton Belle at Alton with $6.5 million.

Other Illinois casinos and winnings were Par-A-Dice, East Peoria, $8.1 million; Casino Rock Island, Rock Island, $1.3 million; Empress I and II, Joliet, $18.6 million; The Silver Eagle, Jo Davies, closed, reopened in May; Players International, Metropolis, $6.3 million; Harrah's North Star and South Star, Joliet, $17.7 million; and Hollywood Casino, Aurora, $14.3 million.

B. Ray Owen is business editor for the Southeast Missourian.