Mo. jobless rate up slightly to 8.8 percent

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A new report says Missouri's unemployment rate edged higher last month to 8.8 percent.

Monday's report from the Department of Economic Development says the seasonally adjusted jobless rate in August was up one-tenth of a point from July. The August figure also was down from 9.6 percent in the same month last year.

The agency also says Missouri's nonfarm payroll jobs fell by 3,100 jobs in August.

Missouri's jobless rate has now been below 9 percent for five months, but it has also been at least 8 percent every month since January 2009.