The latest Department of Economic Development report shows there were almost 18,000 new jobs in Missouri in August. The manufacturing industry added the most jobs with an increase of nearly 5,000 new positions.
Missouri Department of Economic Development spokesperson John Fougere says Missouri’s progress in job creation continues to grow following a big drop during the recession.
“What we saw then in 2008 and 2009 was the state of Missouri in those two years combined lost more than 101,000 jobs," Fougere says. "But now what we’re seeing is a state economy that right now to this point in 2012 has created over 25,000 new jobs.”
Fougere says many of jobs added recently were at two major automobile manufacturing plants in the state. With the addition of the nearly 18 thousand jobs in August, Missouri has added just more than 25,000 jobs so far in 2012. In 2011, the state added just more than 21,000.