KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Unemployment claims in Missouri have dropped “significantly,” according to Gov. Mike Parson.
He said during a press conference on Tuesday that in late March, the state had more than 100,000 claims, while the first week of June saw slightly less than 20,000.
“This is good news,” Parson said. “(It) shows we are recovering and making progress.”
Anna Hui, director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, said that Missouri’s numbers “consistently” track at or below national unemployment rates. Despite more than doubling in April, the state's unemployment rate was at 9.7%, while nationwide unemployment was at 14.7%.
Unemployment claims in Missouri have been “steadily declining week by week,” according to Hu. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations says it has paid more than $2 billion in claims to eligible Missourians.
