Missouri's unemployment rate rose slightly in December but remains lower than the national average.
The state reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.8 percent for December 2020, up 1.3 percentage points from November's revised rate of 4.5 percent, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in December 2020. The U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday that 5.1 million Americans continue to receive state jobless benefits, down from 5.2 million the previous week, according to the Associated Press.
The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 180,137 in December 2020, up by 45,701 from November's 134,436.
Missouri's civilian labor force increased by more than 70,000 last month, contributing to the rise in unemployment, MERIC noted in its monthly jobs report. Non-farm employment in the state increased by 10,400 jobs over the month, and over-the-year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns fell below 100,000.
Service-providing industries accounted for more than 90 percent of Missouri's private-sector employment gains in December, with the largest increases in trade, transportation & utilities (6,300 jobs); professional and business services (3,100 jobs); and leisure and hospitality (1,800 jobs). Educational and health services, however, lost 1,100 jobs. Non-durable goods manufacturing added 1,400 jobs, while durable goods manufacturing lost 500 jobs and construction was essentially unchanged, MERIC reported.
Missouri's December 2020 unemployment rate was 2.4 percentage points higher than the December 2019 rate, which MERIC attributes to lingering layoffs from COVID-19 shutdowns. The state's total payroll employment decreased by 89,600 jobs from December 2019 to December 2020.
The rate peaked at 10.2 percent in April 2020 before decreasing slightly in May, then moving lower in June and July of 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions were eased. After a growing number of COVID-19 cases in August caused a small setback for the labor market, unemployment again decreased sharply in September, followed by smaller decreases in October and November.
The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was also 5.8 percent in December 2020, up by 1.8 percentage points from the November rate of 4 percent. The not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for December 2020 was 6.5 percent. A year ago, Missouri's seasonally adjusted and not-seasonally-adjusted rates were both 3.4 percent.
To read MERIC's full December 2020 jobs report, visit meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report.