Mo. adds 13,000 jobs; unemployment holds steady

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A new report says Missouri gained about 13,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in October while the state's unemployment rate held steady at 6.9 percent.

The Department of Economic Development released the figures Tuesday.

The report also shows the civilian labor force in Missouri grew by almost 12,000 from September to October. The labor force consists of people with jobs and those who are looking for jobs.

October's biggest job increases were in the professional and business services sector, which added 6,700 jobs. The trade, transportation and utilities sector grew by 5,200, while hospitality and leisure added 1,800 jobs.

Those increases were partly offset by declines of roughly 1,100 jobs in financial activities and 900 in manufacturing.

County unemployment numbers weren't yet available for October. In September, unemployment in local counties ranged from a high of 6.7 percent in Stoddard to a low of 4.3 percent in Perry. The unemployment rate for local counties declined from August to September.