Unemployment numbers coming out today. Nationally, we're up to 9.5%, the highest since the early 1980s.
Locally, we're following the national trend. Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board Jasen Jones tells us preliminary numbers showing Joplin's unemployment rate climbed .7% percent last month.
Joplin as compared to other metro areas:
Joplin increase for April to Prelim May = .7%
Statewide increase = 1.1%
Cape Girardeau = 1.0%
Columbia = .7%
St. Joseph = .9%
Jefferson City = .7%
Kansas City = .8%
St. Louis = 1.0%
Springfield = 1.1%
As to why we're seeing this decline, Jones says, "I can’t say for sure. I was actually expecting the Joplin region to either hold steady or continue to show modest improvement between April and May. On the surface, we are still seeing some increases in hiring activity and layoffs still slightly decreasing. Customer traffic in the Joplin Career Center has held fairly steady since late winter."
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