MO jobless rate falls to four-year low

Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a point in September to 6.9 percent, the lowest jobless rate for the state since December 2008.

During the month, Missouri nonfarm employers added 2,500 jobs, bringing the total to 24,700 new jobs for the year. The state finished 2011 with a gain of 21,497 jobs, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Missouri's September unemployment rate was nearly a point below the U.S. average of 7.8 percent, which itself was a nearly four-year low. Missouri's unemployment rate has been lower than the U.S. jobless rate for 37 consecutive months, according to the DED.