Missouri's unemployment rate more than doubles

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri Department of Economic Development this morning reported April's unemployment rate more than doubled from the month prior.

Last month's statewide jobless rate was 9.7%, compared with 3.9% in March. That's also up from 3.2% in April 2019, according to a news release. The data is seasonally adjusted.

The DED reported 305,100 job losses over the month and 327,800 over the year, marking the largest one-month and one-year drops since its current data series began in 1990. Hardest hit were service-producing businesses, which lost 259,100 jobs over the month. Restaurants are included in that total.

Still, Missouri's unemployment rate was lower than the 14.7% nationwide figure in April, according to the release.

"The rapidly changing economic situation will likely continue to evolve and be reflected in next month’s jobs report," officials said in the release.