September 2025 Monthly Jobs Report…

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 18,300 jobs in September 2025, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 4.1 percent. Private industry employment increased by 4,400 jobs and government employment increased by 13,900 jobs. Over the year, there was an increase of 48,900 jobs from September 2024 to September 2025, and the unemployment rate increased by four-tenths of a percentage point, from 3.7 percent in September 2024 to 4.1 percent in September 2025.

EMPLOYMENT

Missouri's nonfarm payroll employment was 3,041,200 in September 2025, up by 18,300 from the revised August 2025 figure. The August 2025 total was revised upward by 1,100 jobs from the preliminary estimate.

Goods-producing industries increased by 500 jobs over the month, with manufacturing gaining 1,800 jobs and mining, logging, and construction decreasing by 1,300 jobs. Private service-providing industries increased by 3,900 jobs between August 2025 and September 2025. Employment in private service-providing industries increased in professional and business services (4,400 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (1,100 jobs); financial activities (700 jobs); other services (600 jobs); leisure and hospitality (500 jobs); and information (100 jobs). Employment decreased in private education and health services (-3,500 jobs). Total government employment increased by 13,900 jobs over the month, with increases in local (7,800 jobs) and state government (6,300 jobs) and a decrease in federal government (-200 jobs).

Over the year, total payroll employment increased by 48,900 jobs. The largest gains were in private education and health services (15,500 jobs); leisure and hospitality (12,000 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (2,100 jobs); other services (1,700 jobs); and financial activities (100 jobs). Employment decreased in manufacturing (-4,000 jobs); professional and business services (-2,700 jobs); information (-2,700 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,300 jobs). Government employment increased by 29,200 jobs over the year, with increases in local (23,100 jobs) and state (8,200 jobs) government and a decrease in federal government (-2,100 jobs).

UNEMPLOYMENT

Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in September 2025. The September 2025 rate was four-tenths of a percentage point higher than the September 2024 rate of 3.7 percent. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 131,808 in September 2025.

The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased in September 2025, declining by one point to 3.5 percent from the August 2025 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 4.5 percent. A year ago, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 3 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for September 2025 was 4.3 percent.

Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.7 percent in September 2025, 1.3 percentage points higher than the national rate of 62.4 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61 percent in September 2025, 1.3 percentage points higher than the national rate of 59.7 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in September 2025, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.4 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than 10 years.

Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report.

PUBLICATION NOTE

Publication of September data for the Missouri Jobs Report was delayed by more than six weeks due to the lapse in federal appropriations and subsequent federal government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is adjusting all deadlines for data affected by the federal government shutdown. There will not be a release published for October data and release dates for November data and beyond will be determined as soon as possible. Additional details about the impact to publications and revised news release dates from BLS can be found on the BLS website.