JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri job market is continuing to recover, following major losses earlier in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Employment in the state increased by 52,000 jobs in July, according to a new report from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Over-the-year job losses have begun to diminish as the economy has gradually reopened.
Missouri’s unemployment rate decreased to 6.9% in July from 7.8% in June – a decrease of nine-tenths of a percentage point. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 211,177 in July – down by 25,026 from June’s 236,203.
Due to layoffs from the coronavirus shutdowns, the July 2020 unemployment rate was still more than double the July 2019 rate.
The rate peaked at 10.2 % in April 2020 before decreasing in the following months. It had reached a record low in July 2018 at 3%.
To read the state’s full July jobs report, click here.
