Mo. unemployment rate drops

Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a point to 5.4 percent in December.

Nonfarming employers added 1,700 jobs last month, marking the fourth straight monthly increase, according to a Missouri Department of Economic Development news release.

During December, the construction industry led the hiring gain with 2,400 new jobs. Three other industries added 1,000 jobs each: leisure and hospitality; transportation, warehousing and utilities; and health care and social assistance.

In 2014, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 44,700 positions, according to the release.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month. The Springfield metro area’s most recently released jobless rate was 4.3 percent in November, according to the BLS.