State unemployment down for December

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in December, down from 5.1 percent in November but still higher than the national average, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Economic Development. Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also was below the 5.2 percent rate of December 2005. But the national jobless rate last month was 4.5 percent. Missouri gained 3,800 nonfarm jobs, seasonally adjusted, from November to December, and 22,100 since December 2005, the state said. That amounts to less than 1 percent growth. Compared with November, the trade, transportation and utilities sector had the largest gain, of 3,400 jobs, in December.

That job sector also had the largest gain over the past year, an increase of 9,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent.

On the other side of the spectrum, government jobs fell by 700 for the month. But they increased over the past year by 7,600, or 1.8 percent.

The biggest drop over the year was in manufacturing, which fell by 6,700 jobs, or 2.2 percent. Also, information jobs fell by 2,300, or 3.7 percent.