Payroll employment increased seasonally in most of Missouri’s metropolitan areas in November as retail stores ramped up for the holiday season and schools reached peak employment for the fall semester.
The largest increase was in the St. Louis metropolitan area which added 6,400 jobs. Retail trade employment was up by 5,700 jobs including substantial gains in general merchandise and clothing stores. Health care and social assistance added 1,100 jobs while local government grew by 1,000, mostly in the public schools.
Employment increased by 2,000 jobs in the Kansas City metropolitan area with significant gains in retail trade and local government. Meanwhile, the Columbia metropolitan area saw an increase of 700 jobs; Joplin employment grew by 300 jobs; Jefferson City gained 200 jobs while St. Joseph added 100 jobs. Springfield saw employment drop by 100 jobs with small gains in retail trade and government that were offset by decreases in construction, manufacturing, and leisure and hospitality.
Statewide, Missouri payrolls grew by 3,500 jobs in November, bringing to total 28,100 new jobs created since January.
During the past year, employment grew in all of Missouri’s metropolitan areas. St. Louis saw the largest employment increase by gaining 8,400 jobs or 0.6 percent while Columbia had the largest percentage increase at 2.7 percent or 2,400 jobs. Kansas City added 5,300 jobs, Springfield added 2,900 jobs, St. Joseph added 800 jobs, Joplin added 400 jobs and Jefferson City added 200 jobs.
Over the past year, St. Louis employment increased by 3,800 jobs in health care and social assistance and by 2,300 in durable goods manufacturing. Kansas City employment growth included 4,400 jobs in natural resources, mining and construction. Private service-providing industries experienced strong growth in Columbia, Jefferson City and Springfield.
Unemployment increased in all areas of the state in November, paralleling the increase in Missouri’s figure of six-tenths of a point to 5.6 percent. Among metropolitan areas, Kansas City had the highest rate at 5.6 percent while Columbia’s 3.5 percent was the lowest rate. St. Joseph experienced the largest increase: 0.9 percentage point with the other metropolitan rates increasing by 0.5 to 0.7 percent.