Missouri employment is continuing to grow adding new jobs statewide in February. Metropolitan areas across the state saw this increase in employment and continue to experience strong growth. From a year ago, employment has increased by 1.4 percent.
Non-farm payroll employment increased by 8,000 jobs in St. Louis in February. The return from a temporary layoff in the automobile industry helped push manufacturing up by 2,900 jobs, while the beginning of the spring school term contributed to an increase of 2,300 jobs in local government. Professional and business services employment was up by 1,400, private educational and health services by 1,500 and leisure and hospitality by 1,100. The major exception to the upward trend was in retail, where employment fell back 2,500.
Over the past year, most metropolitan areas have experienced strong growth. Rates of increase over the past year were: Springfield has seen the strongest growth rate at 3.9 percent; St. Joseph is up 3.4 percent; Columbia up 3.1 percent; Joplin’s rate increase is at 3.3 percent; Kansas City is at 1.9 percent; St. Louis is up 1.4 percent and Jefferson City is up 0.4 percent.
In general, the private service-providing industries have been providing most of the growth, although goods-producing industries, particularly construction, have shown strong percentage increases in most areas. Government employment is up in most MSA’s but has decreased by 1,100 jobs in Jefferson City.
In St. Louis, total employment has grown by 18,500 jobs over the year. Natural resources, mining and construction employment increased by 3,700 jobs, while manufacturing employment is up by 1,400 despite decreases in motor vehicle manufacturing and in the nondurable goods sector. Private educational and health services employment has grown by 3,200 over the year, while leisure and hospitality added 3,200. Professional and business services employment is up by 2,800 while financial activities employment has grown by 2,000.
Turning to unemployment, rates were up slightly in most areas in February. Weather had been unseasonably warm in January, and the more predicted conditions experienced in February took a small toll on construction and other weather-sensitive industries.
Metropolitan area unemployment rates ranged from 3.6 percent in Columbia to 5.6 in St. Louis.