Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · Missouri
How is the job market in Missouri?
The unemployment rate in Missouri was 3.6% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
Missouri, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate3.6%2.4% to 11.6%
- Participation rate63.3%59.6% to 64.6%
- Employment-population ratio61.1%53.7% to 62.0%
Missouri, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands3,173.92,870.3 to 3,177.9
- Employed, thousands3,060.32,587.2 to 3,060.3
- Unemployed, thousands113.671.7 to 339.8
Missouri, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands3,007.32,569.7 to 3,017.9
- Average hourly earnings$34.38$22.71 to $34.42
- Average weekly hours32.932.0 to 34.5
Missouri, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.1%3.0% to 7.3%
- Hires rate3.2%2.8% to 7.1%
- Quits rate2.2%1.6% to 3.7%
- Layoffs and discharges rate0.8%0.7% to 9.3%
- Total separations rate3.2%2.6% to 12.0%
Each row is one measure of Missouri over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Missouri, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands12879 to 231
- Hires, thousands9784 to 187
- Quits, thousands6648 to 105
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands2519 to 272
- Total separations, thousands9679 to 348
Each row is one measure of Missouri over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in Missouri was 3.6% in September 2026, ranking 28th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is down 0.3 percentage points (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the highest since June 2026.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 3,007.3 thousand in September 2026, up 1.0% over a year (ours), 20th highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $34.38 in September 2026, up 5.9% over a year (ours), 30th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.1% in December 2025, down 1.1 percentage points over a year (ours), 16th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.2% in December 2025, unchanged over a year (ours), 32nd highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.2% in December 2025, up 0.4 percentage points over a year (ours), 18th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of Missouri
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in Missouri was 3.6% in September 2026.
What do the figures for Missouri measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of Missouri that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for Missouri?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 3.6% | −0.3 pts | 28 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 63.3% | −0.3 pts | 17 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 61.1% | 0.0 pts | 16 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 3,173.9 thousand | +0.2% | 20 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 3,060.3 thousand | +0.5% | 19 of 51 | n/a | none since 1976 | ||
| Unemployed | People | 113.6 thousand | −8.9% | 21 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 3,007.3 thousand | +1.0% | 20 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $34.38 | +5.9% | 30 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 32.9 hours | −0.3% | 46 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.1% | −1.1 pts | 16 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.2% | 0.0 pts | 32 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.2% | +0.4 pts | 18 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 0.8% | −0.1 pts | 39 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.2% | +0.3 pts | 29 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 128 thousand | −22.4% | 16 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 97 thousand | 0.0% | 20 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 66 thousand | +22.2% | 16 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 25 thousand | −3.8% | 21 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 96 thousand | +11.6% | 17 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of Missouri?115 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Andrew County | 3.0% | 2.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Atchison County | 2.3% | 2.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Audrain County | 3.2% | 3.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Barry County | 3.6% | 3.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Barton County | 3.0% | 3.3% | −0.3 pts |
| Bates County | 3.1% | 3.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Benton County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Bollinger County | 2.9% | 3.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Boone County | 2.7% | 2.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Buchanan County | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Butler County | 4.0% | 4.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Caldwell County | 2.8% | 3.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Callaway County | 2.7% | 2.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Camden County | 3.4% | 3.7% | −0.3 pts |
| Cape Girardeau County | 2.9% | 3.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Carroll County | 3.3% | 3.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Carter County | 4.1% | 3.9% | +0.2 pts |
| Cass County | 2.8% | 3.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Cedar County | 3.5% | 4.0% | −0.5 pts |
| Chariton County | 3.0% | 3.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Christian County | 2.9% | 3.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Clark County | 3.0% | 4.0% | −1.0 pts |
| Clay County | 2.8% | 3.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Clinton County | 3.0% | 3.2% | −0.2 pts |
Show 90 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole County | 2.7% | 2.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Cooper County | 2.9% | 3.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Crawford County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Dade County | 3.1% | 3.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Dallas County | 3.9% | 4.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Daviess County | 2.6% | 2.9% | −0.3 pts |
| DeKalb County | 3.3% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Dent County | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Douglas County | 3.6% | 5.5% | −1.9 pts |
| Dunklin County | 4.9% | 4.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Franklin County | 3.0% | 3.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Gasconade County | 3.0% | 3.3% | −0.3 pts |
| Gentry County | 2.5% | 3.1% | −0.6 pts |
| Greene County | 3.1% | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Grundy County | 2.8% | 3.7% | −0.9 pts |
| Harrison County | 2.9% | 3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Henry County | 3.1% | 3.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Hickory County | 5.3% | 5.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Holt County | 3.1% | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Howard County | 3.0% | 3.3% | −0.3 pts |
| Howell County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Iron County | 3.8% | 4.5% | −0.7 pts |
| Jackson County | 3.3% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Jasper County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Jefferson County | 3.0% | 3.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Johnson County | 3.1% | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Knox County | 3.4% | 3.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Laclede County | 3.8% | 4.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Lafayette County | 3.0% | 3.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Lawrence County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Lewis County | 3.6% | 3.8% | −0.2 pts |
| Lincoln County | 3.1% | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Linn County | 3.0% | 3.7% | −0.7 pts |
| Livingston County | 2.9% | 3.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Macon County | 3.1% | 3.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Madison County | 3.6% | 3.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Maries County | 2.7% | 3.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Marion County | 3.2% | 3.6% | −0.4 pts |
| McDonald County | 3.7% | 4.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Mercer County | 2.8% | 3.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Miller County | 2.9% | 3.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Mississippi County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Moniteau County | 2.6% | 2.8% | −0.2 pts |
| Monroe County | 3.3% | 3.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Montgomery County | 2.9% | 2.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Morgan County | 3.7% | 4.2% | −0.5 pts |
| New Madrid County | 4.2% | 4.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Newton County | 3.2% | 3.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Nodaway County | 2.3% | 2.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Oregon County | 3.6% | 4.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Osage County | 2.4% | 2.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Ozark County | 4.4% | 5.5% | −1.1 pts |
| Pemiscot County | 4.9% | 5.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Perry County | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Pettis County | 3.2% | 3.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Phelps County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Pike County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Platte County | 2.8% | 2.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Polk County | 3.1% | 3.5% | −0.4 pts |
| Pulaski County | 3.3% | 3.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Putnam County | 3.0% | 3.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Ralls County | 2.8% | 3.1% | −0.3 pts |
| Randolph County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Ray County | 2.9% | 3.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Reynolds County | 3.8% | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Ripley County | 3.7% | 4.4% | −0.7 pts |
| Saline County | 2.8% | 3.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Schuyler County | 2.3% | 2.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Scotland County | 2.3% | 2.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Scott County | 3.4% | 3.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Shannon County | 4.6% | 4.8% | −0.2 pts |
| Shelby County | 2.3% | 2.9% | −0.6 pts |
| St. Charles County | 2.9% | 3.0% | −0.1 pts |
| St. Clair County | 3.4% | 4.0% | −0.6 pts |
| St. Francois County | 3.7% | 4.0% | −0.3 pts |
| St. Louis County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| St. Louis city | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Ste. Genevieve County | 2.6% | 2.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Stoddard County | 3.7% | 3.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Stone County | 3.8% | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Sullivan County | 3.1% | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Taney County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Texas County | 3.7% | 4.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Vernon County | 3.1% | 3.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Warren County | 3.1% | 3.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Washington County | 3.7% | 4.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Wayne County | 4.4% | 5.0% | −0.6 pts |
| Webster County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Worth County | 3.3% | 2.8% | +0.5 pts |
| Wright County | 3.9% | 4.7% | −0.8 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of Missouri, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in Missouri?", https://500metrics.com/states/missouri.
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