By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri's unemployment rate dropped slightly last month as several thousand people found jobs.
State Economic Development officials said Monday that Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell a fifth of a percent to 9.3 percent in October.
Nationally, that figure rose to 10.2 percent.
Missouri's total nonfarm payroll increased by about 4,000 jobs. Losses last month in the trade, transportation and utilities sectors and in local government jobs were more than offset by gains in other sectors, including durable goods manufacturing.