The job outlook

Some encouraging economic news came out last week in Missouri. The Show Me State added 6,000 jobs in April as seasonally adjusted unemployment edged down slightly, The Associated Press reported.

The statewide unemployment rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.3 percent. The national unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in April.

The March unemployment rates in Perry County were at 5.6 percent; Cape Girardeau County was at 6.9; and Scott and Bollinger counties were at 7.6 and 7.7, respectively. County numbers for April were not yet available.

Cape Girardeau stands to reduce the unemployment percentage significantly in the coming months. The Menards home improvement store that opened last week is sure to bring scores of jobs, though the company has declined to say exactly how many. The Isle of Capri casino, set to open in November, will employ as many as 450 people, Saint Francis Medical Center's $127 million expansion, announced May 13, will bring about 500 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs to the region. All of this bodes well for our local economic prospects.

Here's hoping that the positive news will keep coming in the months to come.