unemployment

Missouri Unemployment Rate Hits 49-Month Low, But There's A Catch

Marshall Griffin — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:47:38 +0000

Missouri’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest point in four years.

November’s jobless rate is at 6.7 percent, down from 6.9 percent in October. At the same time, though, the state lost 6,800 non-farm jobs last month. John Fougere is with the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

“There’ll be blips from time to time, but we never focus on any one month of data when it comes to the number of jobs gained or lost, but instead the overall trend," Fougere said. "Right now the overall trend of Missouri’s economy appears to be positive.”

Illinois Unemployment Dips To 8.8 Percent

The Associated Press — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:53:35 +0000

Illinois' unemployment rate dipped to 8.8 percent in September.

That's down from a rate of 9.1 percent in August. And the Illinois Department of Employment Security says the seasonally adjusted figures reported Thursday show Illinois' unemployment rate has fallen 10 times in the past 13 months.

IDES says Illinois added 13,800 jobs in September, and Director Jay Rowell calls the news "encouraging because it reinforces the trend of continued job growth."

Unemployment Rate Down Again In Missouri

Rachel Lippmann — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:21:44 +0000

Missouri's unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point in nearly four years - good news for incumbent Jay Nixon with the election three weeks away.

The state Department of Economic Development announced this morning that the rate is 6.9 percent - down three-tenths of a point from August, and nearly three points below its recession-era peak in August of 2009.

The state says companies added 2,500 jobs in September, bringing the total number of new jobs this year to 24,700.

Nixon applauded the numbers in a statement:

Illinois Cracks Down On Unemployment Fraud

The Associated Press — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:11:41 +0000

Illinois is getting $2.7 million to strengthen its efforts to fight waste and fraud in unemployment claims.

The grant from the U.S. Labor Department will help beef up anti-fraud programs launched in the past year.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says it has begun garnishing tax returns of unemployment cheats, working more closely with the attorney general and holding business leaders personally liable for misstating company obligations.

Discouraged in hunt for a job, many stop looking

Yuki Noguchi — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:57:30 +0000

The U.S. population is growing. In normal times, the labor force — working or not — would be growing too. But these are not normal times, and the labor force is actually smaller than it was four years ago, meaning millions of people who should be there aren't.

The reasons people drop out of the workforce are myriad. People go back to school. Others have health issues or family priorities that keep them from looking for work. But some stop looking because they are discouraged.

'Discouraged' is not just a state of mind.