UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES IN STATE; DECLINES IN REGION

The May work force decreased in Cape Girardeau County.

"Our work force for May was 36,618," said Jackie Cecil, director of the Missouri Job Service office at Cape Girardeau. "That figure is down about 50 from April's totals."

With the small decline in the work force, this county was one of a handful in the region reporting decreases in unemployment rates.

"A total of 35,087 people were working," said Cecil. "That figures to 95.8 percent of our work force."

Cape Girardeau County's unemployment rate of 4.2 percent is the lowest in the Southeast Missouri area, and second in the state to the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which carded a 3.6 percent jobless rate.

Unemployment rates traditionally increase in May as students and others enter the labor force for the summer, noted Cecil, "but in our area, employment remained pretty stable."

Bollinger and Perry counties fall under the Cape Girardeau office. Bollinger rates dropped, from 9.3 to 9.1 percent, in May, but Perry County remained unchanged at 5.8 percent.

"The Bollinger rate can change pretty fast," said Cecil. "The county has a labor force of around 4,100. Even a slight change can make a notable difference in the unemployment rate."

In May, Bollinger had 4,188 workers, with 3,808 of them working.

Perry County, with a 10,446 work force, had 611 unemployed persons, resulted in 94.2 percent employment.

"We've been fortunate in this area," said Cecil. "We haven't had any big layoffs and we've had a good run of new businesses for the last five or six months, with several new businesses."

Highest unemployment rates in the region were those in Madison and Pemiscot counties. Madison recorded a 13.3 unemployment rate, up more than a half-percent, and Pemiscot County had a 12.9 percent rate, up from the 12.2 rate of April.

Missouri's statewide unemployment rate in November increased a tenth of a percent, from 6.0 in April to 6.1 percent.

There were an estimated 162,700 unemployed Missourians in May, an increase of 4,900 from the previous month.

"Our estimated employment totals increased by 23,000 in May," said Tom Righthouse, chief of research and analysis with the Missouri Division of Employment Security. "Nonfarm payroll employment registered a monthly increase of 12,000 jobs in May."

The unemployment rate in Illinois improved a bit in May but still reflects double-digit unemployment in extreme Southern Illinois counties.

Statewide, the rate dropped two percentage points, from 8.1 to 7.9 percent.

"Seasonal employment gains primarily in construction led a modest upward trend in Southern Illinois labor force conditions," said Charles M. "Mike" Vessell, labor market economist for the Illinois Department of Employment Security in Harrisburg. "As was the case last month, most of the changes in unemployment rates were small. Seven county rates went up, nine went down and one county remained unchanged."

Vessell added that some Southern Illinois counties will start to experience adverse economic conditions soon because of the CIPS lockout and the coal mine strike that have lasted more than a month.

"Meanwhile, manufacturing, construction and service sections continue to be active for this region," said Vessell. "The small size of each county in the region routinely produces large percentage changes from month to month."

Pulaski, Union and Alexander counties were among top unemployment counties in May.

Pulaski was second on the list, with a 20.8 jobless rate. Union was fourth on the list at 17.8 and Alexander fifth at 17.3. Perry County has been the traditional leader for several months, and in May, posted 21.1 percent unemployment.

"Statewide we have shown a gradual improvement in the labor market," said Loleta A. Didrickson, director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Nationally, the unemployment rate declined by a tenth of a point in May, from 6.8 to 6.7 percent. But, a disappointing figure was reported Friday when the government reported that the nation's unemployment rate rose to 7.0 percent in June as manufacturing jobs declined for the fourth straight month.

It was the first time this year that the monthly unemployment rate increased, returning to the level where it had been stuck from February through April.