SOUTHEAST MISSOURI JOB OUTLOOK GOOD

A bullish hiring pace is projected for Southeast Missouri this summer.

An employment outlook survey compiled by Manpower Inc. indicated that 50 percent of employers who participated in a quarterly survey plan to increase employment this summer.

"The outlook in Southeast Missouri is better than last quarter's prospects," said Barbara Larkins of the Manpower Inc. office at 106 Farrar Drive. "Last quarter 43 percent indicated they would hire more people," she said.

A year ago employers were less optimistic. "Only 30 percent of employers surveyed at this same time a year ago intended to add workers at that time, while 10 percent predicted smaller payrolls," said Larkins.

The 1993 summer survey revealed that 50 percent planned increased employment, 43 percent expected no change, and seven percent expected smaller workforce levels.

"This summer, job opportunities are expected in construction, non-durable goods manufacturing, wholesale-retail and services," said Larkins. "Cutbacks are planned in durable goods manufacturing."

Nationally, the survey reflects little change from second-quarter projections that mirrored the outlook of a year ago. Twenty five percent of survey participants plan staff additions; 64 percent will remain at current levels; 3 percent are uncertain; and 8 percent foresee cutbacks.

Manpower Inc., a temporary help firm that annually provides employment to about 1.5 million people through more than 1,850 offices, conducts the employment outlook survey on quarterly. The survey is based on telephone interviews with more than 15,000 public and private employers in 468 cities.

Missouri and area unemployment figures fell from March to April: state unemployment dropped to 6 percent, down from the 6.7 percent of a month ago.

In Cape Girardeau County, the jobless rate dropped from 4.4 percent in March to 4.3 percent in April. Every county in the southeast area reported decreases in unemployment. Bollinger County dropped a full percentage point, from 10.2 percent to 9.2 percent, and Perry County fell a percentage point, from 5.9 to 5.8 percent.

Madison County experienced the largest decrease, from 14.4 percent to 12.6. Other counties with at least 1 percent drops included Mississippi, from 11.7 to 10.5; and New Madrid, from 10 to 9.

April estimates placed total employment in Missouri at 2,466,300, an increase of 22,200 over the previous month, said Jeanette R. McCrary, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

A large portion of the April employment gains were the result of more jobs in the service producing sector. There were 18,600 more jobs in that area.

Employment gains were also reported in trade employment, construction, amusement, recreation and government.

McCrary said statewide unemployment was estimated at 157,000 in April, down from the estimated unemployment total of 176,000 in March.

Locally, there's good and bad news in a prediction by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The good news is that more than 700,000 new jobs will be created in Illinois by 2000; the bad news is that the lion's share of the jobs will be in the Chicago area.

IDES Director Loleta Didrickson said the study indicates the Chicago area will gain more than 500,000 of the projected 708,578 jobs. Peoria, Rockford and Bloomington-Normal each are expected to gain 14,000 to 20,000 jobs, and Champaign-Urbana, the Quad Cities and Decatur are each expected to gain more than 6,000 jobs.

Didrickson said more than two-thirds of the new jobs will be white-collar positions - mostly in management, marketing and sales, and administrative support.

Illinois experienced a half-point drop in unemployment during April, from 7.3 percent in March to 6.8. But, in the 17 lower counties of Southern Illinois, only two counties were under double-digit unemployment totals: Jackson at 8.3 percent and Hardin at 9.1

In the immediate area, Pulaski County recorded 19.1 percent unemployment, Union reported 18.4 percent, and Alexander, 17.9.

"Most lower counties did show decreases," said Charles M. "Mike" Vessell, labor market economist for IDES at Harrisburg. "But unpredictable weather across the region has stymied consistent back-to-work efforts by weather-sensitive industries during March and April."

Vessell said none of the unemployment changes was very large, mostly under 1 percent.

"In fact, most changes were clustered around the one-half percent mark," he said. "This is good because the small size of each county in this region routinely produces large percentage changes from month to month."