State unemployment rate dips to 9.3 percent in May

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A new report says Missouri's unemployment rate fell slightly last month while the state added 4,900 jobs.

The Department of Economic Development said Monday that unemployment in Missouri stood at 9.3 percent in May, down from 9.5 percent in April. The state unemployment rate has hovered around 9.5 percent for the last year.

The report also says federal government jobs in Missouri rose by 7,300 in May, including temporary census workers. In the private sector, leisure and hospitality added 1,000 jobs and company management increased by 700.

But losses in other sectors offset those gains.

Administrative and support services shed 2,400 jobs, and professional and technical services declined by 1,100 jobs. Construction jobs dropped by 700 last month.