Missouri’s average unemployment rate falls in 2015

Missouri’s change in average annual unemployment was among the biggest percentage decrease movers in 2015.

The Show-Me State’s average jobless rate moved down to 5 percent last year from 6.2 percent in 2014. The drop of 1.2 percentage points was on par with Georgia, Indiana, Maryland and Nevada. Michigan has the biggest overall drop, decreasing to an average of 5.4 percent in 2015 from 7.3 percent in 2014, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics news release.

Nationwide, 47 states and Washington, D.C., reported lower unemployment averages in 2015, while two states increased and one was unchanged.

Missouri was the 2015 leader in employment-population ratio change, according to the BLS.

In 2015, 62.4 percent of the population was employed, compared to 60.7 percent in 2014. The U.S. average was 59.3 percent last year, according to the release.