Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased again in December 2020, but a large increase in the civilian labor force sent unemployment higher. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 10,400 jobs over the month, and over-the-year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns fell below 100,000. However, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points from November […]
A proposed biofuels rule from the EPA is getting criticism from ethanol supporters. The part of the rule ethanol supporters like would address E-15 labeling and infrastructure requirements and not act on 66 petitions for Small Refinery Exemptions. Growth Energy’s Chris Bliley tells Brownfield EPA’s proposed rule is in the middle between good and bad. […]
As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) extensive efforts to address PFAS, the agency is making new information available about EPA testing that shows PFAS contamination from fluorinated containers. Through a coordinated effort with both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a pesticide manufacturer, the agency has determined that fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers that are used to […]
The Missouri Office of Workforce Development is continuing its series of Return Strong Virtual Job Fairs this year, starting with a fair for job seekers in the health care industry on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The Return Strong Virtual Job Fairs are part of the state’s efforts to help Missourians skill up and get back […]
Grain bids surged throughout December. Overseas feed demand, the worker strike in Argentina, and weather conditions in South America were significant factors in soybean and corn prices gaining so much ground. Dry conditions in key growing areas in South America have put yield potential into question, however, the true range of crop loss is still […]
As 2020 comes to a close, Governor Mike Parson highlights the state’s many successes and accomplishments despite the challenges of the past year. “Although 2020 has brought many challenges, we remained committed to serving the people of this state and moving Missouri forward,” Governor Parson said. “We still made great strides in advancing Missouri’s economy, workforce, and […]
The Missouri labor market showed further improvement in November 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 17,400 jobs over the month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from October 2020 to November 2020, and the civilian labor force increased more than 23,000. However, the labor market still showed substantial losses from […]
Under the Beef Check-off program, producers and beef importers pay a $1-per-head assessment on animals they market and equivalent on beef they import. Missouri retains half of each dollar collected for marketing and research in state as identified by the Council’s board. On this episode of Driving Demand, a content partnership with Missouri Beef Industry […]
As of December 1, there were 77.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 1 percent from December 2019 and down 1 percent from September 1, 2020, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Other key findings in the report were: Of […]
If it’s a weed, spray it. That’s the mindset that most in the agriculture industry held for years, however, that thinking no longer works as more weeds become resistant to herbicides, says Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist. Bradley uses waterhemp as an example. Waterhemp is one of 14 herbicide-resistant weed species in […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a multistate coalition of 10 states in filing a lawsuit against Google for multiple alleged violations of federal and state antitrust laws, including anticompetitive conduct, exclusionary practices, and deceptive misrepresentations in connection with its role in the multibillion-dollar online display advertising industry. “In this lawsuit, we allege that Google […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced an update to his office’s efforts to evict illicit massage businesses through the Hope Initiative. Since launching the initiative, 10 additional illicit massage businesses have either been evicted, are in the process of being evicted, or their eviction is likely. “Human trafficking is a global scourge that affects millions […]
