JOBLESS UNIT BUSY; RATE STAYS LOW

Missouri's Rapid Response teams have been activated on several fronts, but unemployment in the state remains less than 3 percent.

Rapid Response teams, which provide special training and re-employment services for workers who have lost their jobs, will conduct meeting this week in a number of areas, including Cape Girardeau, to help workers who will be laid off in the closing of the regional census center.

The team will also be at Macon, Mo., where more than 450 workers will be laid off by Toastmaster, which is converting much of its manufacturing space to distribution.

A response team has also been activated to help workers who will be dislocated by the closing of the Hotel Phillips in downtown Kansas City.

Meanwhile, Missouri's unemployment rate rose slightly but still is 2.8 percent, the lowest June unemployment rate during the 22 years the numbers have been recorded.

The census jobs will run out in late August and early September.

"The rapid response team steps in anytime jobs are lost," said McGee Meredith of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. "Census workers knew the jobs were temporary positions, but it could be difficult for some to adjust to unemployment and finding new jobs."

Meetings have already been established for census workers at St. Joseph, Blue Springs, Kansas City and Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau census workers will meet the team at 4:30 p.m.. Thursday.

Rapid Response Teams are composed of representatives from the Department of Economic Development's Division of Workforce Development, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Kansas City Workforce Investment Board and the University of Missouri Project Refocus.

"With unemployment at a record low, many employees should not have trouble finding good jobs," said Joseph L. Driskill, economic department director. "I urge local companies in need of skilled employees to consider hiring these individuals. Any employers interested in hiring former census workers may call 1-800-877-8698.

Since 1983 -- when Missouri's dislocated worker program was established -- more than 100,000 dislocated workers have participated in the program and about 80 percent of the people assisted by the program, have found new employment.

An estimated 82,700 Missourians were unemployed in June, but total employment increased by more than 45,000, to about 3 million. Manufacturing grew by more than 4,000 workers, to 406,000.

Employment in Cape Girardeau County remained at 97.6 for a second month in a row, which translates into more than 38,400 workers. The Cape County work force was recorded at 39,400 in June, with 2.4 percent unemployment.

Perry County, with a 10,871-member work force, recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state at 2.2 percent, leaving only 234 people without jobs.

Meanwhile the battle of numbers in Southern Illinois unemployment gained more than employment.

Union County experienced the only decrease in unemployment in the immediate Southern Illinois area, dropping to 6.3 percent, down from 6.7 percent the previous month.

Alexander, Pulaski and Massac counties reported slight increases in unemployment, with June rates of 10.6 percent, 11.9 percent and 5.6 percent respectively.

"Unemployment increased moderately throughout the Southern Illinois area," said Charles M. Vessell, labor market economist for the Illinois Department of Employment Security at Marion, "but, on a positive note, most of the gains were due to temporary situations and should be reversed in a fairly short time."

PERCENT OF JOBLESS

Some area totals, with county, work force, working, non-working and unemployment percentages.

Southeast Missouri

Cape County, 39,400, 38,472, 928, 2.4 percent

Perry County, 10,871, 10,673, 198, 2.2 percent

Bollinger County, 5,576, 5,374, 202, 3.6 percent

Scott County, 21,463, 20,653, 810, 3.8 percent

Illinois

Alexander County, 3,963, 3,541, 422, 10.6 percent

Pulaski County, 2,986, 2,632, 354, 11.9 percent

Union County, 8,089, 7,577, 512, 6.3 percent

Massac County, 8,233, 7,776, 457, 5.6 percent