One of the anticipated outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic and precautions that have been taken is a large increase in county unemployment rates across Missouri. That’s evident in the figures available for the April report from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Many of the county rates have doubled when comparing April to March with April the most recent month the stats are available. Governor Parson issued Missouri’s Stay at Home order from April 6th through May 3rd.
Grundy County’s unemployment rate is reported to be six point nine percent, but was only half of that in March at three point four percent. The April rate is based on 310 people unemployed out of a civilian labor force of nearly 4,500. That compares to 174 unemployed in March when the labor force was almost 4,400.
Among the Green Hills counties, April unemployment rates ranged from Caldwell County at 9.3% and Linn County at 8.2% down to Mercer County at 3.5%. Others include Livingston at 5.9%; Sullivan at 5.8%; Daviess 5.5%; Harrison 5.2%; and Putnam County at 5.0%.
Counties of north Missouri, but beyond the Green Hills Region, include Ray at 15.2%; Clinton 11.7%; Carroll 7.2%; Adair 7%; Worth 6.8%; Macon 6.2%; DeKalb 6.1%; Chariton 5.2%; and Gentry 4.5%.
April’s unemployment rate for Missouri was 9.8%. 30 counties in the state show jobless rates above 10%. Taney and Stone counties of southwest Missouri have the most at 24.5% and 16.4% respectively.
