Missouri adds 15,000 jobs in November

Missouri employers added 15,000 new jobs in November, which means the state’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 43,900 jobs in 2013 through the end of November, according to a news release from Gov. Jay Nixon’s office.

The year-to-date total places the Show-Me State in the No. 10 slot nationwide for overall nonfarm job growth in 2013. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only four other states in the nation had larger increases in employment last month.

The additional jobs helped bring the state’s unemployment rate down to 6.1 percent, its lowest point since August 2008. The state had hit a high-water mark in unemployment in January 2009 when the rate was 8.6 percent. Missouri’s unemployment rate in November was the 51st month in row it was below the national average, according to the release.

“By keeping our fiscal discipline and making strategic investments in our students, schools and vital public services, we made Missouri an even better place to live, work and raise a family in 2013,” Nixon said in the release. “This week’s positive economic news demonstrates once again that these proven strategies are paying off, as Missouri’s economy continues to move in the right direction.”