Unemployment — Missouri vs. rest of U.S.

Jobless rates for April released Wednesday, May 17, show Missouri at 16th lowest in the nation compared to the other 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The data from U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and compiled by WalletHub show the Show Me State's unemployment rate last month at 2.5%, tied with Maryland.

The top five states in terms of lowest unemployment, in descending order, are South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire and Alabama.

The lowest five states, in ascending order to the worst jobless rate, are Delaware, Washington, California, District of Columbia and Nevada.

Nevada's Clark County, one of the most populous counties in the nation and home to Las Vegas' entertainment industry, has had a particularly difficult time recovering economically from the end of the pandemic, government analysts say. Nevada's unemployment rate, at 5.4%, is more than twice that of Missouri.

In-state data (Missouri)

Initial unemployment claims are up so far in May, with 7,625 filings through the first two weeks of the month, compared to just under 9,200 for the four weeks of April — suggesting a possible rise in the unemployment rate when May's state data are released.

Missouri's unemployment rate rose two-tenths of 1 percentage point from March to April, from 2.3% to 2.5%.

Do you want more business news? Check out B Magazine, and the B Magazine email newsletter. Go to www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.