The unemployment rate in the Jefferson City area has declined significantly, according to the latest information available on people working in Cole County and three area counties.
According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Cole, Callaway, Moniteau and Osage counties - the Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area - was 6.4 percent in September, compared with 7.2 percent in August.
According to the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, there were 72,529 people employed in the four counties in August. In September, 73,262 had jobs - an increase of 733 people.
In September 2010, the unemployment rate for the three counties was 7.1 percent.
The individual county unemployment rates for September 2011 are:
• Cole, 6 percent.
• Callaway, 6.9 percent.
• Moniteau, 7.1 percent.
• Osage, 6 percent.
While the numbers can still be adjusted, chamber officials say these numbers are encouraging and appear to show the economy is not as bad here compared with the rest of the nation.
There's no information on which industries added jobs, but it is believed that some of the increase is because of businesses gearing up to handle holiday sales.