While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Missouri using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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#50. Cooper County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,015 people (253 unemployed)
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#49. Morgan County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,586 people (307 unemployed)
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#48. Audrain County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,370 people (338 unemployed)
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#47. Polk County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,617 people (526 unemployed)
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#46. Sullivan County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,300 people (84 unemployed)
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#45. Pike County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,031 people (258 unemployed)
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#44. Washington County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,019 people (372 unemployed)
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#43. Henry County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,172 people (376 unemployed)
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#42. Lawrence County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,472 people (611 unemployed)
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#41. Pettis County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,226 people (755 unemployed)
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#40. Johnson County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 22,779 people (839 unemployed)
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#39. Oregon County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,717 people (140 unemployed)
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#38. Macon County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,583 people (248 unemployed)
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#37. Crawford County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,712 people (410 unemployed)
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#36. Stone County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,145 people (535 unemployed)
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#35. Jackson County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 376,405 people (14,457 unemployed)
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#34. Cedar County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,537 people (217 unemployed)
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#33. Vernon County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,647 people (340 unemployed)
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#32. Clinton County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,976 people (424 unemployed)
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#31. Barry County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,451 people (521 unemployed)
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#30. Maries County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,762 people (149 unemployed)
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#29. Dent County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,002 people (241 unemployed)
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#28. Wright County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,256 people (287 unemployed)
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#27. Stoddard County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,716 people (512 unemployed)
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#26. Howell County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,981 people (639 unemployed)
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#25. Clark County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,938 people (120 unemployed)
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#24. Mississippi County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,943 people (205 unemployed)
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#23. Texas County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,795 people (364 unemployed)
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#22. Pulaski County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,825 people (605 unemployed)
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#21. St. Francois County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,816 people (1,062 unemployed)
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#20. St. Louis city
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 153,992 people (6,239 unemployed)
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#19. St. Clair County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,667 people (154 unemployed)
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#18. Madison County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,211 people (219 unemployed)
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#17. Adair County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,552 people (401 unemployed)
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#16. Schuyler County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,689 people (72 unemployed)
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#15. New Madrid County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,998 people (342 unemployed)
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#14. Randolph County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,957 people (432 unemployed)
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#13. Shannon County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,181 people (140 unemployed)
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#12. Caldwell County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,317 people (190 unemployed)
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#11. Wayne County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,752 people (208 unemployed)
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#10. Carter County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,466 people (111 unemployed)
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#9. Benton County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,975 people (314 unemployed)
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#8. Linn County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,939 people (229 unemployed)
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#7. Butler County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,403 people (804 unemployed)
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#6. Ripley County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,024 people (236 unemployed)
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#5. Ozark County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,219 people (154 unemployed)
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#4. Ray County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,409 people (577 unemployed)
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#3. Iron County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,414 people (178 unemployed)
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#2. Dunklin County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,431 people (562 unemployed)
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#1. Pemiscot County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,782 people (323 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.