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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Cavender (573)
751-7500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2006
Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims Drop for Fifteenth Straight Month
Jefferson City, MO – According to a report from the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relation’s Division of Employment Security, weekly unemployment insurance claims have dropped for the fifteenth straight month. Missouri also experienced another month of declining initial unemployment insurance claims filed.
In May 2006, the number of initial unemployment claims filed was 29,086, a decrease of 1 percent from 29,435 claims filed in May 2005. For the same period, 182,093 weekly claims were filed, down 4 percent from last year’s figure of 188,754.
“Missouri continues to add jobs across the state and is up 45,100 new jobs since January 2005,” said Rod Chapel, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. “More Missourians are working today than a year ago which is good news for Missouri’s economy and families.”
The unemployment rate in May was 4.4 percent, slightly below the national unemployment rate of 4.6 percent and one percent lower than last year’s rate of 5.4 percent.
The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is responsible for providing unemployment benefits to workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own. Eligible individuals may qualify for up to 26 weeks of unemployment compensation.
Unemployed Missourians may file for benefits by phone or via the Internet at www.ui.dolir.state.mo.us.
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Information and Planning · 421 East Dunklin
· P.O. Box 504 · Jefferson City, MO
65102-0504
573-751-7500 · 573-751-6552 (Fax)
Relay Missouri: 1-800-735-2966 (TDD) 1-800-735-2466 (Voice)