CAPE COUNTY'S WORK FORCE INCREASES

Cape Girardeau County's workforce increased by more than 300 people during the 30 days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30. With that increase, it might be expected that the unemployment rate also increased. Not so.

"The good news is that employment increased by almost 400," said Jackie Cecil, director of the Missouri Job Service office at Cape Girardeau. "This resulted in a decrease in unemployment for the month."

Cape Girardeau County's unemployment figures declined to 3.6 percent in November, a half-percentage point under the 4.1 of October.

"Our workforce figures are up: more people are working and fewer people are unemployed," said Cecil in explaining the new totals.

The Cape County workforce for November was 36,002, 302 more than in October. "A total of 34,691 people were working," said Cecil. "That figure is up 379 over the October total, leaving 1,311 without jobs." In October, 1,447 were without jobs.

Jobless figures were down in Bollinger County, which falls under the Cape Girardeau office. Bollinger dropped from 7.3 to 7 percent. Perry County, also under the Cape Girardeau office, remained at 4.6 percent, the same as October, but still well under the September total of 5.2 percent.

The decreases followed the trend of the state totals, which were under the 5 percent mark for the first time in several months.

Missouri's economy continued its recovery from the recession as the November unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 percent, down more than a percentage point from the 6.1 unemployment rate of November 1991.

Nationally, unemployment was 7 percent, up two-tenths of a percent from the 6.8 reading of October.

Unemployment has been on the decline in Missouri the last five months, said Donna M. White, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and industrial Relations.

White said the figures indicate the state is recovering from the recession. "It appears to be a situation of unemployed Missourians returning to their jobs or finding work elsewhere more than a case of new jobs being created," she said. "It's a case of recovery, not expansion."

There were 127,624 people without work in November, the lowest level for the month in Missouri since 1979. The agency said the figure was down 37,869 from a year ago and also down 18,493 from the previous month.

At the same time, there were 2,559,995 Missourians with jobs in November, up 21,784 from one year ago and 34,237 more than the previous month.

The highest unemployment rate for the month was 13.5 percent in Iron County and the lowest rate was 2.3 percent in Nodaway County.

Unemployment rates were up in most Southern Illinois counties in November, but they were down for the year.

Current jobless rates were lower in 16 of 17 counties than they were in November 1991, said Mike Vessell, labor market analyst with the Illinois Department of Employment Security in Harrisburg.

"Most every county is significantly better off than a year ago," said Vessell. "I think this indicates that we are a bit stronger economywise than we were a year ago."

Perry County's unemployment rate remained the highest in the state, at 17 percent. A year ago the Perry County rate was 22 percent.

Employment gains in the Southern Illinois retail sector in November were offset by losses in other areas. Losses were reported in construction, transportation, agriculture and agricultural-support fields, said Vessell.

"But losses in those fields are anticipated during this time of the year," said Vessell. "The construction season is winding down and crop harvests have been completed."

Unemployment could get worse before it gets better in Southern Illinois.

Vessell cited the loss of jobs in Union County because of the closings of Florsheim Shoe Co. and Bunny Bread, scheduled this month or next.

"This could affect between 40 and 50 percent of manufacturing jobs in Union County," said Vessell. "That is going to be a big blow."

Unemployment in Illinois increased from 5.3 percent in October to 6.3 in November, but was still down from the 8.4 percent in November 1991.

Among top unemployment rates in Southern Illinois are Pulaski County, at 11.8 percent, fourth on the list, and Alexander, 11.3 percent, sixth. Union County recorded 9.5 percent unemployment.