Missouri Unemployment on the Rise

Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in December, increasing to 3.3 percent from the revised November rate of 3.2 percent. The December 2023 rate was six-tenths of a percentage point higher than the December 2022 rate. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 101,920 in December 2023, up by 991 from November 2023.

Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.3 percent in December, eight-tenths of a percentage point higher than the national rate of 62.5 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61.3 percent in December, 1.2 percentage points higher than the national rate of 60.1 percent.

Missouri's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in December, four-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than eight years. 

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story