Survey shows economy improving in Missouri and Midwest

An August survey of supply managers and business leaders across a nine-state region, including in Missouri, says the financial situation is slowly improving. The unemployment rate for the region hit a high of 9.7% in May and has fallen in the new August survey to 5.8%. Economist Ernie Goss from Creighton University in Omaha says there’s still trouble with hiring.

A report from the U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics says the region has lost about one-million jobs since the onset of COVID-19, for a 7.3% decline.