Springfield unemployment rate unchanged, others decrease

Springfield area unemployment rates did not change from January to February, after marking an increase to start the year.

Excluding St. Joseph, which did not have a rate change, the rest of Missouri’s metropolitan statistical areas posted improved unemployment rates in February compared with January.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Springfield MSA’s jobless rate in February was 3.3 percent.

The five-county Springfield MSA’s unemployment rate went up to 3.3 percent in January from 2.8 percent in December 2017.

Missouri’s MSA unemployment rates in February:
    •    Columbia, 2.6 percent, down from 2.9 percent in January;
    •    Joplin, 3.2 percent, down from 3.3 percent;
    •    Springfield, no change at 3.3 percent;
    •    Jefferson City, 3.3 percent, down from 3.5 percent;
    •    St. Joseph, no change at 3.5 percent;
    •    Cape Girardeau, 3.6 percent, down from 3.9 percent;
    •    St. Louis, 3.8 percent, down from 3.9 percent; and
    •    Kansas City, 3.8 percent, down from 4 percent.

Missouri’s unemployment rate in February was 4.1 percent, the same rate as January. The BLS data is not seasonally adjusted.

A year ago, Missouri’s unemployment rate in February was 4 percent.