OPTIMISM PREVAILS FOR SUMMER JOB PROSPECTS

Construction is booming, factories are producing more products, and the retail trade, including restaurants, is adding more workers throughout the nation, state and area.

Optimism prevails.

Employers foresee positive job prospects this summer based on company responses to a number of recent surveys.

"Southeast Missouri employers plan to recruit more workers during July, August and September," said Barbara Larkins of the Cape Girardeau branch of Manpower Inc., which conducts an "Employment Outlook Survey" on a quarterly basis. "Fifty-three percent of local businesses surveyed indicate they will add more employees."

The survey noted that 34 percent of the businesses will maintain current workforce levels, while only 13 percent anticipate smaller staffs during the third quarter of 1994.

"Hiring activity typically peaks during the summer months," said Larkins. "In our area, the outlook was also bright three months ago when 43 percent of those interviewed projected increased hiring."

The summer job prospects, according to the Manpower survey, appear best in construction, transportation/public utilities, education, services and public administration.

Increasing employment

Nationally, the survey shows a clear continuation of increasing employment with hiring at its highest level in five years.

This is reflected in the latest unemployment figures

Locally, the Cape Girardeau County unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent in May.

"Those are World War II figures," said a spokesman of the local Missouri Job Service office. "Almost anyone wanting a job can find one."

The 3.6 percent total is down seven-tenths from the April total, at 4.3 percent. Employment is also up in Perry and Bollinger counties, which also fall under the Cape Girardeau Job Service office. Unemployment dropped a full percentage point in Perry County, from the 6.7 percent listing in April to 5.7 percent in May. The Perry County unemployment dropped form 4.6 in April to 4.3 in May.

Statewide unemployment remained at 4.7 percent in May. Missouri's unemployment, which started the year at 6.1 percent in January, dipped sharply in April, to 4.7, the lowest statewide unemployment rate recorded in the state in 14 years.

The state's work force is about 2.5 million. Unemployment is 126,000.

"A lot of the employment gains for April were seasonal," said Paul L. Rodgers, director of the Division of Employment Security. "Improving weather usually brings gains in construction, retail trade, lodging and recreational service. The end of the national trucking strike was a boost in May -- putting drivers back on the road and putting workers on overtime at construction sites and factories as companies made up for strike-caused delays."

Unemployment down

Unemployment rates in Southern Illinois have dropped significantly.

Alexander, Union and Pulaski counties, which have experienced unemployment rates in the high teens (17 to 19 percent) during the past year, are now in the lower double or single digits.

Pulaski County dropped out of the top 10 highest unemployment charts, at 9.7 percent in May. Union and Alexander counties remain in the top 10, at sixth and eighth respectively, at 10.3 and 11.5 percent.

Massac County dropped under the 5 percent mark during the past year, at 4.7 percent. Massac, which hosts the Players International Casino Riverboat, has the lowest unemployment rate in the 21-county Southern Illinois area.

Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate showed its best one-month improvement in more than a decade in May.

The Labor Department said the national unemployment rate for May was 6 percent, down from 6.4 percent in April. It was the lowest level since November 1990 and the largest one-month decline since the rate fell from 9.2 percent in September 1983 to 8.8 percent in October.

Contrasting that news was a smaller-than-expected increase in the number of workers added to the nation's non-farm payrolls. The government's survey showed an increase of 191,000 new workers; most economists had expected as many as 280,000.

Many new jobs

The vast majority of the new jobs were in service-related industries. Employment in finance, insurance and real estate declined, and the number of retail jobs increased a modest 31,000 after rising 80,000 in April and 74,000 in March. Construction employment was up 12,000 after gaining 64,000 in April and 74,000 in March.

Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of the nation's mid-size manufacturers plan to add full-time employees this year to handle increasing orders for the products they make, according to a Grant Thornton Survey of American Manufacturers.

"Growth in the domestic economy, coupled with improvements in some foreign markets, has brought mid-size manufacturers to the point where product demand is exceeding capacity," said a spokesman of the firm conducting a recent telephone survey.

Interviewers questioned 250 top executives at companies with annual sales from $410 to $500 million. Among the findings:

-- 63 percent of the executives expect demands to continue to grow the remainder of the year.

-- 49 percent of the companies are increasing overtime.

-- 42 percent are hiring extra part-time workers.

-- 42 percent are using workers from temporary agencies for production jobs.

-- 30 percent are adding work shifts to their production schedules.

Health costs concern

Almost two-thirds of the executives say they expect their companies to make more money this year than last, but the survey found some mixed signals about their expectations for the economy in general.

One third said the economy is on its way to recovery, but 42 percent said its state is uncertain and a relapse into recession is still possible.

National health care reform was the concern of most employers. Executives are afraid they'll have to pay a big share of the costs and will end up spending more to comply with the new government regulations affecting the environment, safety and product liability.

Another survey, also released recently, found that one third of 400 chief executives at fast-growing companies, with sales of $1 to $50 million a year, reported higher profit margins during the first quarter of 1994.

More expansions

Hobby Lobby Creative Center is expanding.

"We're adding about 10,000 square feet to our retail space," said Phillip Sante, manager of the store at 207 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. "We previously occupied this space for storage."

Sante said the space was being converted now, and should be ready within a week to 10 days.

"This gives us over 50,000 square feet for retail," he said. "Over the past year, we have been expanding our lines. This will help us display those lines better."

Hobby Lobby Creative Centers, headquartered in Oklahoma City, opened its Cape Girardeau operation in April of 1993 with about 40,000 square feet and 40 employees.

Hobby Lobby has 50 stores in seven states: Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas and New Mexico. Each store carries more than 27,000 items.

Two Port Authority businesses are expanding in the Bootheel area.

Xenium Fiber Glass Inc., a manufacturing firm which produces fiber glass barge covers, is expanding at the Pemiscot County Port Authority, and will result in 50 new jobs.

The Lewis Dreyfus Co. Rice Mill at the New Madrid Port Authority is constructing a barge-loading dock in the port harbor. That project will eventually result in 35 to 50 new jobs.

Plans have been announced for a new aircraft construction company at the Malden Airport.

Ag Cat will construct small agriculture aircraft, of the crop-duster variety.

The new industry will employ up to about 60 people.

Walgreen's to build

A structure was demolished near the intersection of Independence and Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau last week to make room for a new Walgreen's Drug Store.

A permit has been issued for construction of the Walgreen's operation, which will include a drive-up window for the pharmacy department.

Walgreen's is a familiar name in the Cape Girardeau area. A Walgreen's was located here in the early 1940s, and again in the mid- to late-1970s.

The Cape Girardeau permit office is also expecting to issue a permit for a major project here in the near future.

Plans for Sam's Club, a 134,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Route K and Siemers Drive, have been received by the permit office.

"We understand, however, that a few revisions are being made," said a spokesperson at the permit office. "We're waiting for those revisions before a permit can be issued."

Sam's Club is projected for an early 1995 opening. The facility will employ up to 125 persons.

Federal Express Corporation has moved to its new headquarters at 2078 Southern Expressway.

The station is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Robert Schwepker is operations manager at the new 13,560-square-foot facility.

"We have 20 employees and 14 pickup and delivery vans, which cover Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois," said Schwepker.

Federal Express provides transportation services for documents, packages and freight.