Show Me State jobless rate for May was unchanged from the month before at 2.5%, and remains significantly better than the current 3.7% U.S. unemployment figure. Most Southeast Missouri counties saw April rates below the national average, although higher than the state average.
Missouri’s unemployment has been at or below the national rate for more than eight years.
A year ago at this time, Missouri unemployment stood at 2.1%.
The most recently available figures for Missouri counties are for April.
The lowest rate in the state, 1.6%, was seen in Shelby County, while the highest rate was in Dunklin County, at 4.3%. Of the four counties in the highest bracket, 3.5-4.3%, the others were Shannon, Iron and Wayne.
Locally rates included:
• Perry: 1.9% (The only county in the Southeast portion of the state below 3%)
• Scott: 2.3%
• Cape Girardeau: 2.2%
• Stoddard: 2.9%
• Butler: 3.4%
• Ripley: 3.3%
• Carter: 3.4%
• Wayne: 4.1%