DED releases January 2011 Missouri jobs report

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri payrolls added 7,600 new jobs in January, while final statistics for 2010 reported a net gain of approximately 1,000 jobs for the state, according to data released today by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. This net gain of jobs in 2010 comes after Missouri lost significant numbers of jobs in 2008 and 2009. The state's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged in January at 9.6 percent from December 2010's revised figure, DED also reported.

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased in January, despite unusually harsh winter weather that contributed to employment decreases in construction and other industries. Employment was up in a wide variety of sectors including manufacturing (+4,700 jobs), retail trade (+3,800), financial activities (+2,100), professional and business services (+2,800), and private educational and health services (+1,100). These gains were partly offset by decreases in other sectors including construction (-2,900) and information (-1,900).

St. Louis experienced the largest growth among the state's metropolitan areas. Employment was up by 5,700 jobs from the revised December level, while Kansas City saw an increase of 1,500 jobs. All other metropolitan areas were relatively unchanged.