Missouri unemployment rate falls to 7.9 percent
The Missouri labor market’s recovery continued in June 2020, following the major job losses earlier in the year from COVID-19 shutdowns. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 71,600 jobs over the month, and over-the year job losses, though still substantial, were less than in April and May. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased more than two full percentage points from May 2020 to June 2020, while May’s rate was unchanged from preliminary estimates.
Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went down by 2.2 percentage points in June 2020, decreasing to 7.9 percent from a revised May 2020 rate of 10.1 percent. The national unemployment rate was 11.1 percent in June 2020. Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has now been either below or equal to the national rate for 64 consecutive months.
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Recovery Progress Made, Work Still Ahead
While Missouri's June employment numbers reflect improvement, work is still ahead. The state's unemployment rate dropped significantly in June (from 10.1 percent to 7.9 percent) and it remains well below the national level (11.1 percent), but the rate is still above where Missouri was before the impact of COVID-19. The graphs below provide broader context.
 Strong statewide employment numbers in May and June show that we have recovered about one third of jobs lost between February and April.
 Missouri has plenty of work ahead to return to early 2020 employment levels, but recent months indicate our state is headed in the right direction.
Department of Economic Development Launches New Recovery Programs
The Department of Economic Development (DED) has launched new programs designed to provide relief to businesses and support economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the state's Show Me Strong Recovery Plan.
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Emergency Broadband Investment Program - will provide up to $20 million in grants to reimburse providers that have expanded, or plan to connect, high-speed internet to new subscribing residents in unserved or underserved areas
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Small Business Grant Program - could provide up to $30 million for businesses and is designed to provide relief to small businesses and family-owned farms for reimbursement of costs of interruption caused by required closures due to COVID-19
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Show Me Strong Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Retooling Program - provides grant funding to manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to reimburse certain costs for retooling existing facilities by purchasing necessary equipment and services to manufacture critically needed PPE for use in Missouri
As further recovery programs are announced, visit the Show Me Strong Recovery Plan website for details on ways DED and other departments are working to support economic recovery.
 State Hosts Virtual Job Fairs
The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) is hosting two upcoming Return Strong Virtual Job Fairs to connect Missouri employers with job seekers. The Virtual Job Fairs will be held Wednesday, July 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 2 to 5 p.m. More than 130 employers are signed up to participate in the events.
Job seekers can browse job listings by industry, view participating employers, and join an employer’s “chat room” to hear more about their company and available job openings. The Office of Workforce Development will host presentations about resume writing and interview tips each hour during the job fairs.
Job seekers can sign up to receive a link and reminder email to participate in the events here.
For resources and more information on how MDHEWD is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
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