Unemployment jumped by more the one percent from February to March of this year in three counties in the Daily American Republic’s coverage area, according to statistics released by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Dunklin County’s unemployment rate jumped from 6.7% in February to 8.2% in March. Stoddard’s jumped from 5.2% to 6.5% and Butler’s jumped from 4.6% to 5.8%.
Stoddard County Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington said his county’s higher unemployment numbers were about what he expected.
“1.3% is not very much,” Talkington said. “I think with the employment situation with W.W. Wood, Nestle Purina and Tyson Foods. … They were listed as essential (businesses on the stay-at-home orders). They haven’t had to lay off or cut back because of the virus situation.”
He said the closures of nonessential businesses such as barber shops, beauty shops, nail salons and bars didn’t have a big impact on the unemployment rate. Most of those businesses are run by owner-operators, according to Talkington.
The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of unemployed is expected to be reflected more accurately in the April 2020 jobs report because the state’s stay-at-home order did not go into effect until April 6.
“I expect it to be up a little in April with nonessential businesses closing (this month). They were not closed prior to that,” Talkington said. “Hopefully, we’ll go back to work in May and that number will go down.”
__Biggest overall jump month-to-month__
Dunklin’s month-to-month jump was the biggest since an increase of 1.6% from May to June 2016. Stoddard’s jump was the highest since 1.6% from June to July 2019. Butler’s jump was the highest since 1.2% from May to June 2019.
__Highest rate overall__
Stoddard’s March unemployment rate was the highest since 6.9% in January and February 2017. The county’s highest rate since November 2008 was 11.6% in January 2009. The Department of Labor’s website lists county-by-county numbers no further back than November 2008.
Butler’s unemployment rate was the highest since 6.7% in June 2019. The county’s highest rate since November 2008 was 9.3% in March 2010.
Six of the seven counties’ unemployment rates were up from March 2019, with the exception of Wayne, which dropped 0.1%.
__Unemployment claims by county__
Butler posted the highest number of initial claims in March among the seven counties with 1,211. Stoddard was next with 769, Dunklin was third with 371, Wayne was fourth with 268, Ripley was fifth with 215, Carter was sixth with 142 and Reynolds was seventh with 93.
Five of the seven counties posted the highest number of initial claims since November 2008.
Dunklin’s March total was its highest since 399 in December 2009, and Reynolds’ total was its highest since 94 in January 2009.
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County Feb. ’20 March ’20 March ’19
Butler 4.6 5.8 5.3
Carter 6.5 7.1 6.4
Dunklin 6.7 8.2 6.6
Reynolds 4.3 5.3 4.6
Ripley 5.0 5.7 6.0
Stoddard 5.2 6.5 5.6
Wayne 5 5.9 6.0
SOURCE: Department of Labor website