JOBS OUTNUMBER WORKERS FOR HOLIDAY SEASON

Any day now, Cape Girardeau County could hit zero unemployment.Impossible, you say?Maybe, but the unemployment rate during the Christmas holiday retail sales period -- November through January -- could certainly fall to less than 1 percent, as employment jumps from 35,500 to more than 36,500."Our unemployment rate for September was at 2.6 percent," said Steve Fuemmeler of the local Workforce Development Division of the Missouri Department of Economics Development. Traditionally that means about 800 to 1,000 people without work.The county has a work force of more than 36,500 workers, and more than 35,000 of them have jobs.With new hiring by the U.S. Census Bureau here, and the hefty increase of holiday hiring, the idle work force has narrowed even more this month."We have lot of inquiries for new workers, and we have a shortage of people to fill jobs," said Fuemmeler. With employment on the grow, employers are "beating the bushes" for part-time workers."With Thanksgiving looming and record low unemployment throughmanager Don Fisher. "We took part in the Southeast Missouri State University part-time job fair, we've check with current employees about their friends, and we've hired more than 35 holiday employees."Fisher said he may have to find a few more, but basically, JCPenney is in good shape for the holidays.Ditto, the Target store here."We've been doing on-the-spot interviews here for a while," said Carla Allen, one of the store's officials. "We may have a few stocking positions open, but basically, we're in good shape."The local Target store has added about 30 workers for the holidays.Many retailers have turned to traditional methods of finding holiday help classified want ads in The Southeast Missourian, "word of mouth" and signs throughout the store.There are just not enough workers to go around during the holiday hiring period.Statistics explain it all.More than 35,500 workers are employed in Cape Girardeau County. That figure could swell to 36,500 within the next few days as retailers look to Friday's official start of the Christmas holiday shopping season.That could mean an additional 1,000 workers as retailers throughout the county brace for the influx of shoppers.Retailers increase their staffs an average of 3.8 percent to 6 percent during the Christmas season. Retailers are bracing for Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is usually the biggest shopping day of the Christmas season.The competition for service workers is incredible, say some retailers."During past years, we could hang a sign in the window," said one retailer. "We're getting fewer responses this year."All this can translate into longer lines at the cash registers and fewer salespeople.In addition to holiday workers, about a third of the employers in the Southeast Missouri area are looking to increase their employment during the first quarter of 2000, says an employment survey.Job prospects appear good in the first months of the new year in wholesale-retail, manufacturing and services, says the quarterly survey issued by Manpower Inc., a temporary employment agency. This could be good news for workers at Florsheim Shoe, which will close its doors next month. The Private Industry Council, which also works with the DED Workforce Division, has worked with Florsheim workers with an eye to the future.A number of Florsheim workers are already looking at new jobs; others will work on retraining programs for new jobs.Unemployment rates decreased throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois this fall. The latest figures reveal that statewide, unemployment is 3.1 percent the lowest September reading in two decades. In Illinois, the rate was 4.1 percent, down to new levels throughout the state, including the Southern Illinois area, where Massac County reported 3.3 unemployment. Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties all reported single-digit unemployment.Missouri's Perry County, was at 1.8. Low unemployment totals were recorded throughout Southeast Missouri.

AREA JOBLESS RATES

Southeast Missouri Counties

Cape Girardeau, 2.6 percent

Perry, 1.8 percent

Scott, 3.8 percent

Stoddard, 4.5 percent

Bollinger, 3.8 percent

Mississippi, 5 percent

New Madrid, 4.7 percent

Pemiscot, 7 percent

Dunklin, 4.8 percent

Butler, 3.5 percent

Southern Illinois Counties

Massac, 3.3 percent

Alexander, 7.4 percent

Pulaski, 8.5 percent

Union, 5.8 percent

Johnson, 3 percent

Williamson, 6 percent

Jackson, 3.9 percent