Service jobs lower area unemployment

Added jobs primarily came from the service industry.

The area’s unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a point in November from 3.9 percent in October. The rate a year before was 4.1 percent.

All counties in the metro area saw decreases in their unemployment rates, with the exception of Webster County, which held steady at 4.2 percent. Greene County dropped two-tenths of a point to 3.7 percent; Christian County decreased two-tenths of a point to 3.3 percent; Dallas County dropped one-tenth of a point to 5.3 percent; and Polk County saw the biggest decrease, from 4.4 percent to 4.1 percent.

Statewide, unemployment was 4.8 percent in November; the national rate was 4.3 percent.

Employment in the Springfield metro was 214,782 in November, representing 96.3 percent of its labor force of 223,113. Employment in the area is up slightly from October but is down approximately 5,000 jobs from November 2005.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Jan. 3 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.