JOBLESS RATE: CAPE COUNTY RATE REMAINS BELOW 5 PERCENT

Cape Girardeau County's unemployment rate moved up a bit in October, but the 4.4 percent jobless rate still ranks the area among the 10 lowest in the state.

"The 4.4 figure is still under the 4.5 percent figure of a year ago," said a spokesman for the local Missouri Division of Employment Security office. "We dropped to 4.3 percent in September, but October's rate is not bad."

The county's rate has been under the 5 percent mark since June, when it was an even 5 percent.

This has been no surprise, claim employment officials. Several new retail establishments have opened since July 1.

When Shop 'N Save opened in October, the new grocery retailer provided 150 jobs, part time and full time. Applebee's restaurant opened in early November, providing more than 100 jobs.

A few jobs were lost as construction slowed in October and much of the fall farm harvests were completed. With the Cape Girardeau County work force about 36,500, more than 34,800 people have jobs, leaving 1,606 on the jobless rolls.

The labor force in the county fluctuates between 36,200 and 37,000.

Employment officials add that the "employment picture in Cape Girardeau is still good."

Cape Girardeau County's rate was the lowest percentage in the Southeast Missouri region. Perry County was next on the area list with 5.1 unemployment, up from the 4.6 figure of September.

Statewide, almost 2.5 million workers are holding jobs, up 16,900 from October of a year ago, but the unemployment rate is up from the 5.8 percent figure of a year ago.

The statewide jobless rate registered 6.4 percent in October.

"But, it's encouraging to note that for the second straight month, total employment has been higher than it was during the same month of the previous year," said Donna M. White, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Employment in the services industries showed both monthly and over-the-year gains. Division of Employment Security records revealed there was a 1,200 worker gain in services in October, and an increase of 9,000 from a year ago. Health Services added 4,100 workers over a year ago.

The jobless level for October was 171,600, up 8,000 from September. Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased from 32,605 in September to 30,317 in October.

Manufacturing suffered the heaviest decrease in jobs, down 17,800 from a year ago. About 5,800 manufacturing jobs were lost in aircraft manufacturing, and another 4,200 were lost in motor vehicle and equipment employment.

The Columbia metropolitan statistical area, one of the lowest unemployment areas in the state, posted a 3.3 percent unemployment rate, up one-tenth of a percent from the 3.2 level of September.

The highest unemployment rate in the state was 17.5 percent in Iron County, while the lowest was a 2.6 percent reading in Sullivan County.

Unemployment rates were up in almost every Southern Illinois county.

"Unemployment inched upward across the region from September to October as the construction sector lost some of its mid-summer strength," said Charles M. (Mike) Vessell, labor market economist for the Illinois Department of Employment Security at Harrisburg.

"Supporting sectors such as transportation and wholesale trade also slowed down," added Vessell. "Several other sectors, such as mining, services professional and nonprofessional also contributed small numbers to the region's unemployed."

Vessell said the opening of the new Illinois Centre mall at Marion helped offset some of the construction losses. Also adding to the retail employment figures were the opening of Famous Barr and Montgomery Ward in University Mall of Carbondale.

Alexander and Pulaski counties in extreme Southern Illinois remain among the 10 highest unemployment counties in Southern Illinois. Alexander, at 15.5 percent, and Pulaski, at 14.0 percent, were numbers three and six on the high jobless list. Hamilton County topped all area counties with 20.9 percent.

Illinois' statewide unemployment figure of 7.5 percent for October was up almost a full percentage point from the 6.6 percent of September.

The nation's unemployment rate in July was 6.4 percent and the ranks of the jobless numbered about 8.5 million.