Unemployment rate remains at near record lows

Missouri's unemployment rate came in at 3.3 percent in December, and the state finished the year having added 20,000 jobs to the economy.

Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate saw near record lows through the summer and fall of 2019, edging as low as 3.1 percent, but held steady at 3.3 percent for six months out of the year.

December marks the 41st consecutive month in which Missouri’s rate has been lower than the corresponding U.S. rate, currently 3.5 percent.

For more information on December's jobs report, click here.

Fast Track Grant program to help Missouri adults skill up

To help meet employers’ needs and fill the growing skills gap, the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant program was signed into law in July 2019. The Fast Track grant covers tuition and fees for adults working toward a college degree, professional certificate, or industry-recognized credential from an approved high-need program.

Missourians making under a certain income who are either 25 years and older or adults under 25 who have not been enrolled in any education within the last two years could be eligible. Since August 2019, more than 700 applications have been submitted.

Adults interested in applying for Fast Track can visit MOFastTrack.com for details on eligibility requirements, qualifying programs, and steps on how to complete the application process. Grant recipients must maintain Missouri residency and work in Missouri for three years after graduation to prevent the grant from converting to a loan.

Missouri ranks among nation’s best in job placement for veterans

Every year, the U.S. Department of Labor measures the effectiveness of the Jobs for Veterans State Grant program. The most recent data, the Uniform National Threshold Entered Employment Rate (UNTEER), shows Missouri as one of the highest ranking states when it comes to job placement for veterans seeking employment.

The U.S. Department of Labor set a target marker for all states and U.S. territories to place 58.5 percent of program participants in jobs within one fiscal quarter of receiving services.

While 23 total states and territories failed to reach this threshold, Missouri exceeded the target and was one of only five states to quickly and successfully find work for at least two-thirds of its participating veterans.