Despite the fact that Missouri's unemployment rate declined, St Louis medical jobs and education jobs were the only positions to increase when compared to last year.

Although the October unemployment rate for the St. Louis area has yet to be released, Missouri as a whole saw its unemployment rate decrease from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent last month. That decrease places the state's current rate below the national unemployment rate of 10.2 percent.

The St. Louis area had a total non-farm employment of 1,319,800 workers during October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,317,100 workers during September, but a 3.2 percent decrease from last year.

Five industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including: manufacturing by 200 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 800 jobs; professional and business services by 800 jobs; education and health services by 2,000 jobs; and government by 2,000 jobs. Employment in the financial activities industry remained steady at 78,000 jobs.

The education and health services industry was the only one to add jobs on a yearly basis. The industry employed 217,600 workers during October, up from 215,600 workers during September and a 1.3 percent increase from last year.

The mining, logging and construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 70,900 workers during October, down from 72,100 workers during September and an 11.3 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in jobs include:

• manufacturing by 9.7 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 3.2 percent
• information by 2.3 percent
• financial activities by 1.8 percent
• professional and business services by 3.2 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 2.7 percent
• other services by 7.3 percent
• government by .4 percent

Labels: St Louis medical jobs