Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from July 2021 to August 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point.
Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,300 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in August 2021, down from 4.2 percent in July 2021.
Recovery from COVID-19-related layoffs continued with an increase of 73,400 jobs from August 2020 to August 2021. Short-term shortages of semiconductor chips may hold down employment in manufacturing in the next few months.
To view the data specific to the Central Region, click here.
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Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point in August 2021, dropping to 4.0 percent from the July 2021 rate of 4.2 percent.
The national unemployment rate decreased from 5.4 percent in July 2021 to 5.2 percent in August 2021. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 123,158 in August 2021, down by 5,448 from July’s 128,606.
The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also decreased in August 2021, dropping by 0.4 percentage points to 3.5 percent from the July 2021 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 3.9 percent. The decrease resulted from the recall of manufacturing workers from short-term layoff. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for August 2021 was 5.3 percent.
A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 6.0 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was 6.1 percent.
With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic now more than a year in the past, the August 2021 rate was 2.0 percentage points lower than the August 2020 rate.
Total payroll employment increased by 73,400 jobs from August 2020 to August 2021, reflecting the recovery from job cuts brought on by the initial wave of COVID-19 infections.
All but one of the major private-sector industry groups shared in the increases, with the largest gain in leisure & hospitality (+33,700 jobs), followed by professional and business services (+17,700 jobs), educational & health services (+12,100 jobs), and trade, transportation & utilities (+8,700 jobs).
The sole private-sector exception was financial activities, which lost 5,600 jobs. Government employment decreased over the year, with a loss of 6,200 jobs concentrated in federal and local government.
To view the full August 2021 Missouri Job Report, click here.
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