STRICTLY BUSINESS: STUDENTS TO TRADE TEXTBOOKS FOR PAYCHECKS

As midyear approaches, many students will trade textbooks for paychecks during the summer months.

Almost a third of the businesses in Southeast Missouri expect to hire workers this summer, ranging from durable and non-durable goods manufacturing and retail/wholesale sales, to construction and services, say most industry and business surveys.

A tight labor market in Southeast Missouri and the nation, provides a sunny forecast for a wide range of quality jobs this summer, for students and other job seekers.

A study released by Manpower Inc., the nation's largest temporary-staffing company, said 32 percent of businesses across the country intend to increase their work forces. In Missouri, the report said personnel additions are planned by 30 percent of Southeast Missouri businesses.

"No businesses in the local area anticipated payroll reductions," said Peggy Gates of the local Manpower office, 2909 Beaver Creek. "The remaining 70 percent said they would continue current staffing levels."

That compares to national expectations that 58 percent will retain staffing levels. Six percent said they may cut back and 4 percent were unsure.

The survey also predicted that the unemployment rate would continue to drop.

Statewide unemployment dipped 0.1 point from March, to 4.2 percent in April. Total employment increased by 41,000 people from March, totaling 2,785,900 in April.

98.2 percent employment

Perry County, which had 1.8 percent unemployment in March, was still under 2 percent in April, with 11,080 people working out of a 11,299 work force, leaving only 291 people without jobs.

Cape Girardeau County also increased 0.1 percent from March and stood at 2.1 percent in April. That means more than 35,000 of Cape Girardeau County's 36,000 available work force were working in April.

The Cape Girardeau unemployment totals have ranged from a monthly low of 2.1 percent in February to the 1999 high of 2.3 percent, in January.

Other Southeast Missouri unemployment rates in April: Bollinger County, 3.8 percent; Scott County, 3.6 percent; Stoddard County, 4.9 percent; and Mississippi County, 4.5 percent; New Madrid, 4.5 percent; Madison, 5.2 percent; Dunklin, 4.7 percent, the area's high; Pemiscot County, at 6.8 percent.

Gates said many employers continue to find available labor in short supply, although the end of college classes will help the supply.

Manpower's survey was based on telephone interviews during the last two weeks of April with 15,653 businesses, including many in Southeast Missouri.

The company said the figures have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.

Missouri unemployment rate decreased in April, but the state will be losing a number of jobs steadily over the next couple of years, as Boeing cuts some 7,000 jobs from its St. Louis labor force.

Not all good news

Boeing layoffs started last week, as more than 200 employees received pink slips.

Boeing has announced it would trim a third of 20,000 jobs in St. Louis, because the F-15 Eagle production line has to be idled. Boeing's decision was announced two weeks ago when the Seattle-based aerospace company lost a bid to sell fighter jets to Greece, and St. Louis is headquarters for Boeing's defense business, with military aircraft manufacturing facilities at St. Louis and St. Charles.

Meanwhile, a new weekly wage survey conducted by Missouri's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the U.S. Census Bureau indicates a steady increase in salary averages for the state's 2.7 million employed workers.

The study finds the average weekly salary in Missouri is $534.38, up $22.74 from the weekly average recorded at the start of 1997. The average is the result of wide differences in wages paid throughout the state, with payroll checks in the city of St. Louis registering the highest at $668.69 compared to the state's lowest rate of $287.82 in rural Ozark County.

The highest hourly wage in the state is paid by the federal government, reaching $19.60. Mining has the second highest rate, $18.41 an hour. Manufacturing provides the state's third highest hourly wage, with wholesale trade closely following at $17.42 an hour.

Other hourly rates include agriculture $8.67; construction $15.64; transportation and public utilities $16.99; retail trade $7.07; finance, insurance and real estate $17.15; services $12.28; state government $12.62; and local government $12.08.

Unemployment is down in Illinois.

With more than 6.3 million people in the work force, only 238,341 are idle, good for a 3.8 unemployment rate.

More than 100,000 jobs were added to the Illinois total between March and April.

Alexander County, in extreme Southern Illinois, has its lowest unemployment reading in recent years, at 5.3 percent. Alexander has a work force of 3,945, and 3,736 have jobs.

Union County employment is at 96 percent, with 7,445 people working from a 8,102 work force. Other nearby counties have also reported improved employment numbers -- Massac County at 95.6 percent employment (7,255 of 7,586) and Pulaski County is at 92.3 percent employment (2,701 of 2,927).

Farm front concerns

There some new concerns on the farm front these days, about the proposed merger of farm equipment makers Case Crop., and New Holland, N.V.

It seems some farmers are worried about the colors of the new company's tractors.

New Holland, based in the Netherlands, uses blue for most of its farm machinery. Case, based in Racine, Wis., paints its tractors, combines and other equipment red.

The companies, which announced the merger last week, say they will maintain both brands of equipment, but farmers worry about a makeover.

"I don't put blue with farming," said one farmer who tills more than 3,000 acres. "I put red with farming."

Farm-equipment makers have distinguished their products with color since the 1920s -- John Deere green, Farmall red, Allis Chambers orange among the many. Many farmers develop loyalties to a brand -- and its color.