Report: Cape Girardeau-Jackson area grew more in private sector than public in 2009

The Cape Girardeau area was one of only five areas in the country that had more earnings growth in private sector jobs than government jobs during 2009, according to a new report by the U.S. Commerce Department.

The unemployment rate in the Cape Girardeau area continues to stay below state and national averages as well.

"It shows we've got a strong base," said Mitch Robinson, executive director of Cape Girardeau Area Magnet. "It's not a super growing base, but it's stable."

The other five areas where the private sector accounted for most of the earnings growth in 2009 included Kennewick, Wash., Cumberland, Md., Morgantown, W.Va., and Ithaca, N.Y., according to the Commerce Department.

In the 57 areas where earnings increased during 2009, most gains were concentrated in government jobs as a result of military expansions and other federal stimulus spending.

Most likely, Robinson said, the growth in this area's private sector jobs is because many companies in the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area added a few employees last year rather than one company doing a large mass hiring.

NARS in Cape Girardeau probably added the most jobs in the area during 2009, he said.

Robinson also attributes the diversity of Cape Girardeau's economy to helping it weather tough economic times.

"We haven't had a huge hit, like they have in the St. Louis area with Chrysler," Robinson said. "We've had some losses with Thorngate and layoffs at Blue Cross, but nothing where thousands of people are being let go."

The Commerce Department's report examined personal income for 366 metropolitan statistical areas, a designation of population centers by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Cape Girardeau center includes Cape Girardeau, Jackson, surrounding areas and a portion of Southern Illinois.

The report indicated personal incomes in the Cape Girardeau-Jackson area grew by just 2 percent during 2009. Personal incomes totaled $3.04 billion for the area, which is estimated to have a population of 93,712, according to the Commerce Department.

During the last year, personal income declined in 233 metropolitan statistical areas, increased in 134 and remained unchanged in 9. The average decrease was 1.8 percent in 2009 after rising 2.7 percent in 2008.

mmiller@semissourian.com

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