By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - There’s some good news today on the employment picture in the ShowMe State. Missouri’s unemployment rate continued to edge down in April, according to data released this week by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED).

Missouri’s unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent, down by two-tenths of a point from the March figure on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Since January of this year, Missouri’s unemployment rate has now fallen by seven-tenths of a point.

In comparison, the U.S. seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is currently 9.0 percent.

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment added another 2,500 jobs in April, with the most significant growth in construction, manufacturing and retail trade. Construction continues to show signs of traction following severe job losses over the past few years. Manufacturing has also been growing for several months; in April the industry employed nearly 250,000 Missourians, an increase of 7,700 jobs, or 3.2 percent, over the past year.