More people working, more people looking

Attention political candidates — John Mehner, president and chief executive officer of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, knows how to put a positive spin on what could otherwise be viewed as seriously bad news.

After the national employment report was issued Friday that showed employment nationally had fallen by 20,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate had also fallen to 5 percent, I checked on the local unemployment figures. The latest available numbers are from March and, at first glance, the news is bad — since March 2007, the unemployment rate in the region has increased by an average of 1 percent.

In Cape Girardeau County, the March unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, up from 3.9 percent a year ago. That is the smallest increase of area counties. Scott County unemployment rose to 6.6 percent from 5.5 percent; Perry County unemployment rose to 4.9 percent from 3.7 percent and in Bollinger County, the rate in March was 6.3 percent, compared to 4.9 percent a year ago.

When I called Mehner to ask if he was aware, anecdotally, of any reason why employers in the region weren't hiring, he challenged the numbers, asking if the reported labor force had grown and if the number of people working had increased. Sure enough, in each of the four counties the report showed more people in the work force. In Cape Girardeau County, the increase was about 2 percent to 41,744. And in two of the four counties, total employment also grew, but in each county the number of unemployed grew at a faster rate than the number of people working, leading to the increase in the unemployment rate.

The people reported as unemployed are those who are able and looking for jobs.

"So more people are working and more people are looking" for jobs, Mehner said. "That is a better gauge of what those numbers represent."

A strong jobs market will attract people who won't find work right away, Mehner said. And the unemployed likely includes what he calls "trailing spouses," or the husbands and wives of people who move to the area because they have a job offer. It can take those spouses a while to find a position, Mehner said.

The two counties with growing employment are Cape Girardeau and Bollinger, while Scott and Perry counties showed a slight decline. But job numbers are significantly off statewide, with 44,000 fewer people employed in March 2008 than 2007.

That means the job growth here is significant, Mehner said. "It is good to buck the trend."

Overall, Cape Girardeau retains a healthy economy, Mehner said. "I think we have got people moving here for jobs," he said. "When you just tell somebody unemployment is up, there is an immediate negative reaction."

New clothing store coming: In my weekly check of new business licenses, I found that Cape Girardeau issued a license to the chain retailer Charlotte Russe to open one of their stores selling clothing aimed at young women in their teens and 20s.

Calls to the corporate office were not returned, but by perusing the company's Web site, I found some interesting information. The company has been going through a period of rapid growth, reporting 360 stores as of July 2006 and 440 stores by Dec. 29, 2007. A news release about the retirement of the chairman of the board from April 17 included a statement that the company intends to open 60 new stores in 2008.

The new store will be in West Park Mall at 3049 William St., No. 127, and, according to the business license, should be open in June.

New pool hall: On a Friday or a Saturday night, there's a good chance I can be found with a pool cue in my hand. I'm not saying I'm any good, but I do enjoy the game. But I have never played on a table with pink felt.

That will change in August or September when two Southeast Missouri natives who live in St. Louis bring their unusual brand of pool hall and arcade to the Town Plaza.

Christopher and Lisa Seib have been operating Pink Galleon pool halls in locations in St. Louis since 1993, Christopher Seib told me Friday. Their business, which they describe as "upscale billiards and games" derives its name from the pink felt on the pool tables and the Mediterranean theme (from Spanish galleon) of the decor, he said.

"We've got the hottest pink felt on our pool tables that someone can make," Christopher Seib said.

There are two Pink Galleon locations in St. Louis, one in Creve Couer and one on Butler Hill Road in South County. They chose Cape Girardeau for their new location in part because of ties the region — she's from New Hamburg, he's from Poplar Bluff and they both attended Southeast Missouri State University — and in part because their son and district manager, Travis Seib, suggested that Cape Girardeau is as close to his headquarters in Hillsboro as another potential location in St. Peters, Mo.

Don't let the word "upscale" fool you, Christopher Seib said. It doesn't, in this case, mean expensive. Instead, he said, it means a clean place, not "a smoky old pool hall" with style, not just beer signs for decorations.

"The pink, when ladies come in, immediately tells them we are not a smoky old pool hall," Seib said. "It gives us more of a nightclub look."

Another draw to Cape Girardeau is that the renovation of Town Plaza is moving ahead and the Seibs know at least one principal with Greater Missouri Builders.

There will be food, a doorman to keep those younger than 21 out and, perhaps, in time, a dress code, Christopher Seib said.

"We are like an adult Chuckie Cheese," he said.

A home for hip-hop: Another St. Louis entrepreneur who views Cape Girardeau as a market worthy of an investment will open a store offering CDs, DVDs, T-shirts and his own brand of car-detailing products at 407 Broadway.

Robert Johnson will open The Underground soon, perhaps as early as later this week if he can get all the work done on the storefront, he said. "I'm shooting for next Thursday if everything goes as planned," he said.

The store will offer as featured items DJ mix CDs and DVD documentaries, Johnson said. "It is like a hip-hop documentary store," he said. "It is rappers and stuff like that."

While he has no direct ties to Cape Girardeau, he's knowledgable about the city, has friends here and believes his store will be a good fit. The downtown location will be convenient for college students and he intends to offer products that are difficult, if not impossible, to find in town. "I know there is a market for it there," he said.

In St. Louis, he said he sets up at flea markets — that is what he was doing Saturday when I reached him — and sells the entertainment items as well as a line of auto detailing products from tire shine to car wash soap to interior shampoo. Johnson also believes there's another hand helping him succeed — his faith. "What I believe is going to help make the store a success is me putting God first," he said. "If you believe that, he will make all these things happen."

From the news release file:

Madra Jones, owner of elements the Ultimate Salon & Spa, sent me an item that an expansion program is complete, adding 1,200 square feet for a product boutique, with a total of 3,700 square feet in La Croix Village. There are now eight styling stations, she reported.

The U.S.-China Business Council issued a report on trade with China broken down by exports from each congressional district. The Eighth District of Missouri has gone from exporting $4 million worth of goods to China in 2000 to $61 million in 2007. I'll get more on this later and learn about what products we are selling.

Rudi Keller is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at rkeller@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 126.