Queen City unemployment rate climbs

Seven of Missouri’s eight metropolitan statistical areas, including Springfield, posted unemployment rate increases in January compared with December.

The Springfield MSA’s jobless rate moved up to 3.8 percent from 3.5 percent, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics news release.

 Missouri’s metro areas, ranked by January unemployment rate:
    •    Columbia, 3 percent, up from 2.7 percent in December;
    •    Jefferson City, 3.8 percent, up from 3.2 percent;
    •    Joplin, 3.8 percent, flat;
    •    Springfield, 3.8 percent, up from 3.5 percent.
    •    St. Joseph, 4.3 percent, up from 3.8 percent;
    •    Kansas City, 4.5 percent, up from 3.8 percent;
    •    St. Louis, 4.6 percent, up from 4 percent; and
    •    Cape Girardeau, 4.8 percent, up from 4.3 percent.

Missouri’s unemployment rate moved up to 4.6 percent in January from 3.9 percent in December, according to the release. The BLS data is not seasonally adjusted.

Compared with the same month in 2016, January unemployment rates across the nation were lower in 205 of the 388 metro areas measured by the BLS, higher in 147 and unchanged in 36, according to the release.

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