Missouri employment grew by 7,600 jobs in February, on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 0.3 percent from January.
Missouri’s February seasonally adjusted total non-farm employment was 2,753,600, up 0.3 percent from January 2006. With the additional 7,600 jobs created in February, employment is up 37,500 or 1.4 percent over the past year.
According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, weather was a contributing factor in slight unemployment increase from January to February. Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was moved to 4.8 percent, from 4.7 percent.
On a not-seasonally-adjusted basis, the state’s jobless rate increased by two-tenths of a point to 5.4 percent in February, up from 5.2 percent in January. However, overall this rate has fallen by nine-tenths of a point since February 2005.
The 7,600 increase in non-farm payroll jobs were spread through most industry groups. Leisure and hospitality industries posted a strong month and added 3,900 jobs, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Trade, transportation and utilities employment grew by 3,000, while educational and health services employment was up by 1,200.
Over the past year, Missouri’s payroll employment has grown by 39,100 jobs using comparisons made with not-seasonally-adjusted data to provide maximum industry detail. Manufacturing employment bounced back from a temporary layoff in the motor vehicles industry in January; employment was up by 3,100. The main exception to the upward trend was in construction, where wintrier weather led to less activity than had occurred in the unseasonably warm January period. As a result, construction employment went down by 2,400 jobs between January and February.
Construction has continued to be strong, with employment growing by 6,100 jobs or 4.8 percent over the year. The leisure and hospitality sectors added 10,400 jobs (4.2 percent) spread through most industry groups. Health care and social assistance employment is up by 7,400 jobs since February 2005. Trade, transportation and utilities have collectively added 10,600 jobs; 7,700 of which were in retail trade. Employment in financial activities has grown by 4,300.
The main exceptions to the growth trend were in manufacturing, telecommunications, accounting and similar services and other services. In manufacturing, declines in motor vehicles, food and other industries pulled employment down by 5,100 jobs over the year.