AREA LABOR FORCE UP 20 PERCENT IN 6 YEARS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Over the past six years, the Cape Girardeau County labor force has grown at a rate of almost 20 percent a year.

In numbers, that tabulates into more than 600 new workers a year, from a civilian labor force of 31,155 in December of 1984 to 34,815 in December of 1990.

There's more.

During that same month (December) of 1984, a total of 19,307 people were working in Cape County, leaving 1,826 without jobs, for a 5.9 unemployment rate.

In November of 1990 the latest month that numbers are available for Cape County, less than 1,400 people were without jobs. That means that more than 33,400 people were working, for a 96 percent employment percentage.

"That tell you something about the versatility of the job markets in Cape County," says Jackie Cecil, manager of the Missouri Job Service Office here. "Cape County is usually among the leaders in high employment rates in the state."

Over the past six years, since 1984, the job forces has been consistent in increasing about 600 a year.

Statistics in the county show that the work force is divided among several occupations. Manufacturing firms provide jobs for about 7,000 people, or more than 20 percent of the labor force.

The health and education field provides a big chunk of the jobs. With two hospitals Southeast Missouri and St. Francis and Doctors Park; a university Southeast Missouri State University and four high schools in the county Cape Central, Notre Dame, Jackson and Delta the service field provides more than 9,000 jobs.

Each year, 50 new businesses open in Cape County, providing new jobs.

The retail/wholesale operations provide another 9,000-plus jobs.

Add transportation, communication, public utilities, and agriculture, and plenty of job versatility is here.

The local Job Service provides service to Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties.

Throughout the office's three-county area, the work force totals 46,246, up from the 41,378 job force of late 1984.

The labor force in Perry County is 7,442, up from 7,069 of six years ago. An increase of workers were also noted in Bollinger County, where an average of 133 new workers a year appeared on the scene, shoving the work force total from 2,154 in 1984 to 3,953 in 1990.

More than 400 workers a year have joined the work force in nearby Scott County, which saw its work force grow from 17,265 in 1984 to 19,770 in 1990.

Only two counties in the immediate Southeast Missouri recorded decreases in the labor force New Madrid, dropping from 11,486 in 1984 to 9,487, and Mississippi, dropping from 6,552, to 5,837.

Following are labor force figures, with 1984 totals first, followed by 1990 totals:

Cape County, 31,155, 34,815

Scott County, 17,265, 19,770

Perry County, 7,069, 7,442

Bollinger County, 3,154, 3,953

Stoddard County, 12,564, 13,224

New Madrid, 11,486, 9,487

Mississippi, 6,552, 5,837.

Madison County, 3,778, 4,671

Ste. Genevieve, 5,730, 7,042.