Springfield unemployment drops in September

Unemployment for the Springfield metropolitan statistical area dropped a tenth of a percentage point in September, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Springfield's jobless rate was 8.4 percent for September, down from 8.5 percent in August. While the rate is significantly higher than the 5.5 percent rate in September 2008, it remains nearly a full percentage point lower than the state average, which was 9.3 percent last month.

Nonfarm employment was 197,300 workers in the Springfield area, down from 200,000 last year.

Unemployment rates were higher than a year ago in 371 of the 372 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the BLS statistics. The one exception was Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La., where unemployment rates were abnormally high in September 2008 due to the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

The national unemployment rate was 9.5 percent, up from 6 percent in September 2008.

Thirteen metro areas had jobless rates of at least 15 percent; five of those were located in California and three were in Michigan.