Local employment

The talk of economic recovery on a national scale has soured somewhat in recent weeks, and the biggest reason for the mood is the national unemployment rate, which is stubborn at 9.1 percent.

There are many reasons why employment is still struggling. Some point to government policy, some to corporations' refusal to invest in jobs here in the U.S. Most believe as employment rises so will the economy. The question is how long will it take to bring that unemployment rate to normal levels. The average unemployed person in May had been out of work for 39.7 weeks. That's the longest average length of time since the U.S. Labor Department began keeping records in 1948.

Locally, there is good news to report. Local unemployment rates have been declining steadily in 2011. Since peaking at 8.2 percent in January, the Cape Girardeau County unemployment rate has dropped to 6.8 percent in April, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. May figures for states and counties won't be released until June 16.

This newspaper also recently reported an uptick in commercial development locally. More jobs were being created because of this development. Two major expansions have been announced recently; Nordenia will add 50 jobs at a new location in Jackson, and NARS will add 100 jobs in Cape Girardeau.

This is not to say that Cape Girardeau County and the surrounding areas are recession-proof. But it is safe to say that our area has been insulated from the worst of the unemployment issue that is choking the recovery in the rest of the country.

The local unemployment disparity says something not only about the skilled and hard-working workforce in the area, but also about the employers here. Clearly many local businesses have shown a willingness to retain good people and hire new employees and keep their businesses profitable.