JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The unemployment rate is dropping in Missouri, but it's still well above what it was before the pandemic hit.
A jobs report from the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) said that the unemployment rate dipped to 7.9% in June. That's 2.2 percentage points lower than the state's May rate of 10.1%.
In comparison, the national unemployment rate dropped to 11.1% in June.
By the end of last month, about one-third of the jobs lost due to the pandemic had been recovered, the report said. The leisure and hospitality industry, the sector hardest hit by COVID-19, added 36,400 jobs in June. About 31,000 of those jobs were in accommodation and food services.
But the unemployment rate was still more than double the pre-pandemic rate of 3.5% in January and February. An estimated 237,649 Missourians remain unemployed.
The DED said the numbers are promising but much more work needs to be done.
The department detailed new programs it has launched to support economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants for small businesses and reimbursement for high-speed internet providers that are expanding to underserved areas.
The state will host virtual job fairs July 22 and Aug. 5. For more information, click here.
