CASINO BRINGS JOBS: DESPITE BOAT, ILLINOIS JOBLESS RATE STILL HIGH

The opening of a riverboat gambling casino/restaurant in Massac County was the main employment activity in deep Southern Illinois during February.

At Metropolis, International Riverboat Casino provided up to about 600 jobs with the opening of a restaurant and riverboat casino operation.

"Opening of the casino has provided a big boosts in the economy and employment over a wide area," said Gary Kidd, president of the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce. "The 600 new jobs will provide an annual payroll of more than $12 million to the local economy."

A spokesman for the casino operation added that 80 percent of the new jobs went to Southern Illinois residents. The new casino also has sparked economic growth across the Ohio River in Paducah, Ky., where as many as 700 new jobs have been created by new and expanded businesses.

Even with the new jobs, unemployment climbed across Southern Illinois.

"Unemployment totals jumped in most counties," said Charles M. "Mike" Vessell, labor market economist with the Harrisburg office of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

"New claims in unemployment compensation were primarily centered in two main weather-sensitive sectors of the economy oil fields and construction," Vessell said.

Massac County employment is down 2 percent from February of a year ago, although it is up two-tenths of a percent from January of 1993.

Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties showed large increases in unemployment in February.

Union, which was impacted heavily from the close of two big industries a shoe factory and the Bunny Bread bakery shot up from 12.4 percent in January to 15.5 percent in February. Alexander went from 15.3 to 17.7 percent, and Pulaski increased from 14.4 to 16.7 percent.

Perry County continued to have the highest unemployment in Southern Illinois, at 21.5 percent, up almost three percent from a month ago.

"We're anticipating an upturn in labor market conditions this spring," said Loleta A. Didrickson, director of the IDES. "Employment gains are anticipated for construction, retail trade and services."

Overall in Illinois, the unemployment rate was up 1 percent from the previous month, from 7.4 to 8.4 percent. The rate is still under the total of February 1992, when the state recorded an 8.9 unemployment rate.

Compared to many Southern Illinois counties, the unemployment picture in Southeast Missouri was considerably better.

A total of 34,073 people had jobs in Cape Girardeau County during February.

"The figures for January and February were very similar," said Jackie Cecil, director of the Missouri Job Service office at Cape Girardeau. "In January, 34,100 people had jobs."

In either case, it means an unemployment figure of 4.6.

"The 4.6 percent figure for both months is still good," said Cecil. "I think we will be seeing some improvements in the rate in the near future."

During February, the workforce in Cape County was 35,702, down about 100 from January. In both months, however, 95.6 percent of the workforce had jobs.

"January and February unemployment rates are usually higher," said Cecil. "But, we're still fortunate here. We've had a good run of new retail businesses for the last five or six months."

Cape Girardeau County's unemployment rate of 4.6 percent is the lowest in Southeast Missouri. Perry County, with a 5.9 percent unemployment rate, is second on the list. The Perry total is up a tenth of a percent.

Only two area Southeast Missouri counties recorded increases in unemployment Perry and New Madrid.

There was no change in four counties Cape Girardeau, Butler, Dunklin, and Stoddard. Decreases in unemployment were recorded in Bollinger, Madison, Mississippi, Pemiscot and Scott.

Missouri's unemployment rate for January was 6.7, down a tenth of percent from the 6.8 rate of January.

"The decrease was less than the expected seasonal decrease," said Donna M. White, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. "Weather can play a big factor in the state's economy during February. Mild weather often results in a declining unemployment rate. However, the inclement February weather this year apparently slowed the decline in statewide unemployment."

Missouri's revised January unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, with an estimated 178,898 unemployed workers, said White. "The estimated unemployment total dipped to 175,147 in February.

Statewide, a total of 2,450,995 Missourians were working in January, out of a work force of 2,626,142.

Compared with payroll figures of a year ago, Missouri employment has grown by 27,900 jobs. All industry divisions have grown except for manufacturing. White said manufacturing employment has been affected by job losses in the auto, aircraft, electronics and fabricated metal product industries. The largest growth has been in services.

"Also noteworthy is the 6 percent in construction employment," said White. "More than 4,800 new jobs have been created there."

Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped two-tenths, from 7.9 percent in January to 7.7 in February.

Figures show the national work force at 126,505,000, with 116,735,000 working and 9,770,000 unemployed.