Missouri payroll employment unchanged in May

     JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri payroll employment in May was unchanged from the revised April level, on a seasonally adjusted basis, at 2,788,800 jobs.
     Seasonally adjusted employment increased in Health Care & Social Assistance (+1,500), Government (+1,800), and Durable Goods Manufacturing (+600), where a recall in the automobile industry more than offset smaller decreases in other manufacturing industries.  The largest over-the-month decrease was in Professional & Business Services (-2,700). Other industry groups experienced smaller changes over the month.
      Since January 2005 Missourians have created 79,000 jobs. May employment and change from April in Missouri’s metropolitan areas are shown below.

Columbia: 95,100 (+400)
Jefferson City: 80,300 (+500)
Joplin: 81,000 (+300)
Kansas City: 1,024,400 (+4,500)
St. Joseph: 60,500 (-100)
St. Louis: 1,364,500 (+9,600)
Springfield:  204,900 (+400)
 
           Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.0 percent in May.  The increase between April and May mirrored a monthly increase in the national unemployment rate, which rose half a point to 5.5 percent.  The not-seasonally-adjusted Missouri unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in May.