Counties with the highest unemployment in Missouri

Written by:
Stacker
April 8, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Missouri

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Missouri using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Missouri.

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#50. Carroll County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,734 people (197 unemployed)

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#49. Dent County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,299 people (265 unemployed)

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#48. Wright County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,958 people (331 unemployed)

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#47. Howell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,329 people (692 unemployed)

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#46. Harrison County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,728 people (162 unemployed)

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#45. Audrain County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,762 people (419 unemployed)

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#44. Adair County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,917 people (425 unemployed)

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#43. Randolph County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,087 people (429 unemployed)

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#42. Laclede County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,095 people (736 unemployed)

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#41. Lincoln County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,815 people (1,294 unemployed)

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#40. Jackson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 363,423 people (15,512 unemployed)

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#39. Oregon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,988 people (175 unemployed)

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#38. Macon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,041 people (308 unemployed)

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#37. Texas County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,221 people (405 unemployed)

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#36. Reynolds County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,684 people (121 unemployed)

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#35. Grundy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,081 people (183 unemployed)

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#34. Pulaski County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,849 people (674 unemployed)

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#33. Putnam County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,190 people (101 unemployed)

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#32. Sullivan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,570 people (117 unemployed)

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#31. Clark County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,972 people (138 unemployed)

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#30. Linn County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,123 people (236 unemployed)

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#29. Ripley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,217 people (242 unemployed)

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#28. Bates County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,774 people (355 unemployed)

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#27. Knox County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,739 people (82 unemployed)

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#26. Crawford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,519 people (499 unemployed)

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#25. Monroe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,803 people (183 unemployed)

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#24. Madison County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,231 people (253 unemployed)

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#23. McDonald County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,672 people (567 unemployed)

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#22. Miller County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,863 people (631 unemployed)

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#21. Barry County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,054 people (682 unemployed)

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#20. Hickory County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,123 people (212 unemployed)

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#19. Butler County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,500 people (914 unemployed)

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#18. St. Francois County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,464 people (1,317 unemployed)

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#17. Morgan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,373 people (444 unemployed)

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#16. Washington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,119 people (567 unemployed)

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#15. Mississippi County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,165 people (296 unemployed)

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#14. Stoddard County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,297 people (760 unemployed)

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#13. Schuyler County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,855 people (107 unemployed)

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#12. Carter County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,399 people (140 unemployed)

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#11. Wayne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,775 people (275 unemployed)

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#10. Benton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,275 people (431 unemployed)

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#9. Shannon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,348 people (208 unemployed)

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#8. Iron County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,480 people (218 unemployed)

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#7. Camden County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,947 people (1,190 unemployed)

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#6. Pemiscot County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,892 people (405 unemployed)

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#5. New Madrid County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 4.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,647 people (614 unemployed)

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#4. Ozark County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,470 people (267 unemployed)

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#3. Dunklin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,517 people (902 unemployed)

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#2. Stone County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,838 people (1,432 unemployed)

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#1. Taney County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 14.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,231 people (3,520 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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