Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Missouri using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
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#50. Lafayette County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 16,656 (305 unemployed)
2 / 50
#49. Monroe County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 3,807 (70 unemployed)
3 / 50
#48. Newton County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 27,063 (478 unemployed)
4 / 50
#47. Pettis County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 20,004 (365 unemployed)
5 / 50
#46. St. Louis County
6 / 50
#45. Vernon County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 9,087 (163 unemployed)
7 / 50
#44. Warren County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 18,750 (329 unemployed)
8 / 50
#43. Cedar County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 5,705 (109 unemployed)
9 / 50
#42. Dallas County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 7,156 (137 unemployed)
10 / 50
#41. Grundy County
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#40. Laclede County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 16,429 (305 unemployed)
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#39. Polk County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 14,590 (279 unemployed)
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#38. Randolph County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 10,283 (191 unemployed)
14 / 50
#37. Sullivan County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 2,494 (47 unemployed)
15 / 50
#36. Bollinger County
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#35. Butler County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 18,063 (353 unemployed)
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#34. Camden County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 19,781 (392 unemployed)
18 / 50
#33. Carter County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 2,551 (52 unemployed)
19 / 50
#32. Linn County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 5,074 (103 unemployed)
20 / 50
#31. Morgan County
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#30. Ray County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -5.8%
- Total labor force: 10,749 (214 unemployed)
22 / 50
#29. St. Clair County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 3,785 (77 unemployed)
23 / 50
#28. Stoddard County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 13,373 (264 unemployed)
24 / 50
#27. Wright County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 7,647 (152 unemployed)
25 / 50
#26. Adair County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 9,896 (203 unemployed)
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26 / 50
#25. Madison County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 5,392 (111 unemployed)
27 / 50
#24. Pulaski County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 14,406 (306 unemployed)
28 / 50
#23. Audrain County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 10,087 (224 unemployed)
29 / 50
#22. Dent County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 6,246 (136 unemployed)
30 / 50
#21. Howell County
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#20. Jackson County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 357,325 (8,023 unemployed)
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#19. New Madrid County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 8,315 (182 unemployed)
33 / 50
#18. Reynolds County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 2,900 (65 unemployed)
34 / 50
#17. Texas County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 9,090 (197 unemployed)
35 / 50
#16. Washington County
36 / 50
#15. Oregon County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 3,732 (84 unemployed)
37 / 50
#14. Ripley County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -2.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 5,069 (116 unemployed)
38 / 50
#13. Clark County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 3,056 (74 unemployed)
39 / 50
#12. Mississippi County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 5,182 (125 unemployed)
40 / 50
#11. Shannon County
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#10. Stone County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 13,718 (324 unemployed)
42 / 50
#9. St. Francois County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 25,553 (629 unemployed)
43 / 50
#8. Taney County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.2%
- Total labor force: 26,443 (657 unemployed)
44 / 50
#7. Wayne County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 4,681 (117 unemployed)
46 / 50
#5. Benton County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 7,227 (185 unemployed)
47 / 50
#4. Ozark County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 3,458 (91 unemployed)
48 / 50
#3. Dunklin County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -2.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 11,323 (334 unemployed)
49 / 50
#2. Iron County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 3,431 (104 unemployed)
50 / 50
#1. Pemiscot County
