Important State For Kerry News

[Jon8503]

This is not what Bush says is going on when he comes here.



Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004

R E L A T E D L I N K S
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Labor

Missouri leads in job loss

Sharp decline in July contrasts with annual growth

By DIANE STAFFORD The Kansas City Star

Missouri suffered a 1.9 percent decline in total employment from June to July — the largest of any state — according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Missouri lost 51,800 jobs, according to the seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll report. The government sector was the primary contributor to the job loss, accounting for 39,300 fewer jobs, the report said.

The July job decline marked a sharp reversal for Missouri, which in previous months had been among the leaders in statewide job creation. Kelvin Simmons, Missouri's economic development director, said the summertime closing of schools contributed to the jobs decline but that slippage would be reversed as schools reopen this month.

Nationwide, the establishment survey found that nonfarm payroll employment, which is being watched closely as the November election approaches, decreased in 22 states and increased in 28 during the month. Overall, payroll employment nationwide stood at nearly 131.3 million in July, up 32,000 from the previous month.In contrast to a steep decline in Missouri, Kansas establishments recorded a statistically negligible decline of 300 payroll jobs from June to July.

The payroll count looks better on a year-to-year basis. From July 2003 to July 2004, payrolls grew in 46 states and the District of Columbia and shrank in only four states — Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The number of payroll jobs nationwide increased 1.46 million over the year.

Missouri had 2,681,200 jobs in July 2004, up 23,200 payroll jobs from a year earlier. Kansas had 1,321,600, an increase of 9,000 payroll jobs from a year earlier.

State-by-state unemployment numbers, based on the Census Bureau's separate Current Population Survey, also were released Friday.

Unemployment rates were lower than a year earlier in all but one state and the District of Columbia.

According to the seasonally adjusted numbers, the civilian labor force unemployment rate in Missouri was 5.5 percent in July 2004, up from 5.2 percent in June but down from 5.8 percent in July a year earlier.

There were about 166,400 Missourians who counted themselves as unemployed and actively looking for work in July.

“We have seen a rise in unemployment recently, even with our general trends toward job growth,” Simmons said.

“One explanation for this is the ‘encouraged worker effect.' Workers who left the labor force when conditions were not promising begin to look for work again when the employment situation begins to brighten.

“Those who enter the labor force and do not immediately find work are counted as unemployed, resulting in a higher rate.”

On the Kansas side, 4.6 percent of the civilian labor force was unemployed in July 2004, compared with 4.7 percent in June and 5.6 percent in July a year ago.

That translates to about 67,800 Kansans who were unemployed and looking for work in July.

To reach Diane Stafford,

call [phone] or send e-mail to [e-mail].
First glance

• Missouri posted the largest June-to-July employment decline of any state, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[fujiyama]

1. Plus no Nader

Kerry should really go after the state, maybe not as much as OH, but it could be almost as important. I think Gore lost it by about 3%.

[JI7]

2. yeah, but what i really want to know is

was Kerry really in Cambodia during Christmas ?


hahahahhaha

[Jon8503]

3. Next Poll

Kerry was just pulling ahead of Bush in MO, will be interesting to see the next results after the headlines in all the MO papers. Mo will also help with Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas is always a lost state.