Unemployment rate falls; job losses mount

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's April unemployment rate fell by more than half a percentage point to 8.1 percent.

The drop from 8.7 percent in March breaks a nearly yearlong string of rising unemployment and is the greatest monthly drop in joblessness since at least January 1976.

But it's not all good news. The number of Missouri jobs dropped by 9,300 in April. Losses hit at least 1,000 jobs in numerous industries, including manufacturing, retail trade, and leisure and hospitality.

The Economic Development Department said Tuesday the statistics suggest many out-of-work Missourians are no longer seeking jobs. The unemployment rate counts only those actively seeking employment.

April also generally posts lower unemployment rates because seasonal work and outdoor industries are hiring but school is still in session.

-- AP