ON THE JOB: 1997 PROVED TO BE GOOD YEAR FOR WORKERS; MORE JOBS CREATED IN REGION

More than 62,000 new jobs were created in Missouri in 1997.

More than 1,000 of those new jobs emerged in Cape Girardeau County, and another 200 to 300 jobs were added in Bollinger and Perry counties.

1997 was a good year for Missouri workers, with solid increases in new jobs and wages.

Preliminary and unofficial figures indicated that new jobs were counted in manufacturing, financial services, health care, warehouse, telecommunications and retail sales.

According to early statistics being studied for the "1998 Economic Forecast for Missouri," a report issued annually by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), solid increases were seen in employment, income, and gross state product in 1997.

In addition, inflation remained low and exports from the state grew significantly.

Early findings indicate the state's average unemployment rate for 1997 will be under 4 percent -- perhaps as low as 3.6 percent, compared to 4 percent in 1996 and 4.8 in 1995.

Personal income in the state grew about 4.1 percent in 1997.

More than 225 businesses in areas tracked by the DED either located new facilities or expanded existing facilities in Missouri, and invested an estimated $1.6 billion in new property, plant and assets.

The state's gross state product -- the sum of all goods and services produced in Missouri -- increased by 2.5 percent, topping $140.1 billion.

The ultimate result is that more Missourians -- 2.7 million -- are working, and making more for their efforts. Wages for goods-producing jobs increased 4 percent, to about $600 a week, while wages in the service sector increased 4.2 percent, to about $356 a week.

Missouri's unemployment rate dropped to 3.5 percent in November, the latest month figures are available.

Two Southeast Missouri counties -- Perryville and Cape Girardeau -- are well under the state average. With the increase of more than 1,000 new jobs in Cape County in 1977, the jobless rate dropped to 3 percent. And, in Perry County, only 279 members of the 10,121 work force were without jobs in November, good for a 97.2 employment rate, or a 2.8 unemployment rate.

Jobs have increased in Cape Girardeau County, especially on the retail front, with such store openings as Sam's Club, Staples Office Supplies, Goody's, 14-Cine Theater and others.

Construction workers have been busy since the middle of the year, and are still going strong, with construction of new businesses, homes and schools.

A couple of late 1996 business and industry openings helped fuel the high employment totals for 1997:

Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield's customer-service center, which opened in December of 1996, provided more than 200 jobs, and K's Merchandise, which opened late in '96 and provides about 100 full-time jobs and another 75 to 100 part-time jobs through Christmas holiday season.

Looking to the future, Procter & Gamble's announcement of a $350 million expansion last April will result in many construction jobs and an increased product staff of more than 350.

P&G is still waiting for a final permit to get construction under way. Ground and site work has been progressing since the announcement.

In November of 1996, Job Service statistics indicated that 33,410 workers had jobs in Cape Girardeau County. A year later, in November of 1997, more than 34,888 people were working in the county, an increase of 1,478.

The job market does fluctuate from month to month.

Along with increased jobs came an increase in the county's work force, from 35,088 in November of 1997, to 35,976 a year later.

New jobs were also reported in Perry (200) and Bollinger (141) counties, which fall under the Cape Girardeau Job Service Office.

Missouri's unemployment rate for November was lower than expected for this time of year, according to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said. The agency said this week that 101,700 Missourians were out of work in November.

Seasonal employment decreases in November included a drop of 4,400 jobs in service-producing industries; amusement and recreation employment was down 4,100 jobs; and hotel employment was down 1,000 jobs.

Personal services employment increased by 1,200 jobs during November while 1,400 jobs were created in the health services industry.

Employment gains in retail trade were mainly in general merchandise sales, 3,500 jobs, while 1,100 new jobs were added in apparel stores.

Southern Illinois had higher unemployment rates in November, but 17 of 21 counties had counted lower rates from September through October.

"Several manufacturing companies had typical temporary layoffs in November," said Charles M. ("Mike") Vessell, labor market economist from the Marion office of the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Massac County continued to post a low unemployment total, at 3.9 percent, which was up three-tenths of percent from October.

Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties continued to record single-digit unemployment.

Illinois posted a 4.7 percent unemployment for November, up from the 4.4 percent of October, but down form the 5 percent reading of a year ago.