Missouri's unemployment rate ticks up

The Show-Me State's unemployment rate ticked up slightly in August, according to the latest data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate last month was 7%, compared with 6.9% in July, according to a news release. The August rate was more than double that of the same month in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the economy.

In August, Missouri's seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment ranks dipped by 1,200 jobs to roughly 2.8 million.

Job losses include 2,800 in local government, 2,400 in wholesale trade, 1,600 in educational and health services, 1,000 in manufacturing and 1,000 in financial activities. Job gains were recorded in leisure and hospitality, at 3,600, federal government, at 3,400, and retail trade, at 1,400, among others, according to the release.