SUMMER JOBLESS RATE LOWEST SINCE NIXON ADMINISTRATION

The employment scene changes with the seasons.

This is the season of travel, tourism, construction and agriculture in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois and state employment reports reflects that, with heavy increases in these categories.

Unemployment rates continue to drop -- in Missouri, Illinois and the nation.

Latest figure show that U.S. unemployment for May was 4.8 percent, lowest since 1973.

In Missouri, the rate dropped to 3.8 percent in May, down from 4.2 in April. In Illinois, the rate dipped from 4.8 unemployment in April to 4.4 percent in May.

Missouri's employment increased by 17,400 jobs, to more than 2.8 million, leaving the number of unemployed individuals for May at 108,000, down from the 121,000 figure of a month ago.

Many of the new jobs appeared to have a seasonal component. Construction was up by 3,800 jobs, services employment, including amusement and recreation services, were up by 3,500 jobs, and agriculture put people to work in sizable numbers.

In Southeast Missouri, Perry County led a group of low-unemployment counties, at 3.1 percent. Only 315 workers were without jobs in the county, out of a work force of 10,084.

In Cape Girardeau County, more than 95 percent of the county's work force had jobs in May. The area's largest county has a work force of 35,918, with 34,443 with jobs, for a 95.9 employment rate.

The employment picture could get better.

Many positions are available in a number of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois businesses, ranging from nurses, training coordinators, counselors, bookkeepers, chefs and salesmen to construction workers, truck drivers, restaurant servicers, housekeepers and others.

There are jobs for people in almost every category, according to the Missouri Job Service's Cape Girardeau office, which keeps tabs on employment throughout three counties.

Hiring is expected to improve this summer, according to an Employment Outlook Survey released recently by Manpower Inc., the nation's leading temporary employment company.

The Manpower report found that 30 percent of businesses surveyed nationally expect to increase employment this summer.

The outlook is even more favorable in Southeast Missouri.

Some 46 percent of area companies that participated in the survey foresee more workers on their payroll during the third quarter while only 3 percent predict cutting personnel.

"Hiring projections for the third quarter are among the strongest of the year," said Peggy Gates, of the Cape Girardeau Manpower office. Summertime job opportunities are expected in non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation/public utilities, wholesale/retail trade and services.

In Southern Illinois, big increases were noted in May in construction, transportation and agriculture.

In fact, said Charles M. "Mike" Vessell, labor market economist for the Marion office of Illinois Department of Employment Security, these three sectors offset some temporary layoffs in the manufacturing sector.

Unemployment dropped in 19 of 21 counties in deep Southern Illinois. Unemployment rates were under the double-digit mark in three usual double-digits, Alexander (7.4), Pulaski (8.6) and Union (6.8). Massac County recorded the lowest unemployment, at 4.4 percent.

The Illinois unemployment rate is at a 23-year low and state officials are calling it the latest sign of a continuing good economy.

"The May statistics confirm that the Illinois economy continues on its long-running, healthy course," said Lynn Doherty, director of the state Department of Employment Security, which provides the statistics. The number of people working in the state increased to 5,849,448, from April's total of 5,844,119 and the May 1996 figure of 5,774,927.

The nation's unemployment rate of 4.8 percent in May, was last seen when Richard Nixon was president.

After four consecutive monthly declines, the jobless rate is now the lowest since November 1973, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

National economic reports are full of good news these days -- the strongest growth in a decade, the lowest unemployment in a quarter-century. Yet, there are people without jobs.

For every Silicon Valley, with its highly paid jobs, and every Wall Street, with its six-figure bonuses, there is someone seemingly untouched by the second-longest peacetime expansion in U.S. history.

One local manufacturer has cut down on its work force. In addition to lay-offs, the company has cut overtime and weekend production and pushed the 48-hour weeks to 36 hours and the 40-hour weeks to 32 hours. And, a business shutdown in St. Louis is idling about 80 workers.