Mo. unemployment average falls in 2013

Missouri's average unemployment rate was among 43 states and Washington, D.C., to record decreases in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Missouri average dropped to 6.5 percent last year, a decline from an average of 7 percent in 2012, according to a news release.

Comparatively, the U.S. average unemployment rate in 2013 decreased to 7.4 percent from 8.1 percent the year before.

According to the BLS, two states reported average unemployment rate increases last year and five saw no change.

While Nevada recorded the largest decrease in unemployment during 2013 - a drop of 1.7 percentage points - it still had the highest unemployment rate average in 2013, at 9.8 percent. North Dakota held the lowest average for the fifth year in a row, at 2.9 percent, according to the release.