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Melissa Miller
Melissa Miller is business editor at The Southeast Missourian. A graduate of the University of Missouri Journalism School, she's worked as a reporter, photographer, editor and as the executive director of two not-for-profit organizations. After living in Michigan and then Indiana, she moved back to her hometown of Jackson, Mo. In addition to writing daily stories for The Southeast Missourian, Melissa coordinates editorial content each month for Business Today. Business Today is a monthly publication for southeast Missouri's business community. Monthly themes include health care, agriculture, women in business, technology and more. Business Today is direct mailed to business owner and managers throughout southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. Follow her updates on local business developments at www.twitter.com/semissourianbiz or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MelissaMillerSoutheastMissourian

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Local unemployment jumps nearly 1 percent from May to June

Posted Friday, July 30, 2010, at 12:00 AM

Unemployment rates rose almost 1 percent in the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Metro area from May to June, according to new figures released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Local unemployment was a 7.9 percent in June, compared to 7.0 percent in May.

Anthem Blue Cross's decision to lay off about 40 percent of its Cape Girardeau office may be partly to blame. In April, the Company gave 125 employees notice their jobs were being eliminated, some in 30 days, some in 60 days.

There is still some good news in this report however, as local unemployment for the month of June was still lower than it was one year earlier. Unemployment in the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Metropolitan Statistical area was 8.6 percent in June of 2009.

All of Missouri's metro areas -- Cape Girardeau-Jackson, Columbia, Jefferson City, Joplin, Kansas City, St. Joseph, St. Louis and Springfield recorded lower unemployment rates over the year.

Unemployment rates in the Cape-Jackson Metro area still remain lower than the state avgerage of national unemployment rate which was 9.6 percent. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. The national rate is down just slightly in June compared with 9.7 percent a year ago.

Here's the link to view the complete report: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.t01.htm

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  • haha.. Metro area? We're not that big are we?

    -- Posted by semostudent08 on Fri, Jul 30, 2010, at 9:34 AM
    Melissa Miller
    Actually the United States Office of Management and Budget designated the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area fairly recently. We are now one of 372 metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S.

  • "The closing of Anthem Blue Cross's Cape Girardeau office may be partly to blame. In April, the Company gave 125 employees notice their jobs were being eliminated, some in 30 days, some in 60 days. "

    Melissa - over 200 people are still working for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Cape Girardeau. We are not closed and have heard no plans to close this building. Many of those employees that were given notice are still employed, simply in other positions within the company. Please check your facts before you post stories like this.

    -- Posted by farmwife2 on Fri, Jul 30, 2010, at 11:29 AM
    Melissa Miller
    Thanks for pointing this. When I looked back on my story from this initial announcement in April, company officials told me they laid off about 40 percent of their Cape Girardeau workforce. The story has been updated to reflect this information.

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