Pettis County’s unemployment rate jumped to a 15-year high in January, rising nearly 2 percent since the end of 2008.

The county’s unemployment rate rose for the third straight month, increasing from 6.4 percent in December to 8.2 percent in January. These statistics are not seasonally adjusted and only account for people who filed unemployment claims, so those whose unemployment had expired are not included.

Local unemployment was up 1.8 percent from January 2008. It has not reached this level since January 1994, when 8.3 percent of workers in the county were jobless, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of the 20,393-person work force in the county, 1,678 were out of work in January, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

Linda Christle, executive director of Economic Development of Sedalia and Pettis County, attributed the majority of the spike to slumping economic conditions. Although it is typical for seasonal employees to be released around the beginning of the year, the county’s 15-year high in unemployment cannot simply be chalked up to annual trends.

“There are seasonal issues, but a year ago those seasonal issues were still going on,” Christle said. “It is truly the economy. There are some counties that are in double digits (in unemployment rates).”

Both Benton and Morgan counties’ rates jumped to more than 10 percent in January. About 10.3 percent of the labor force in Benton County was unemployed, while the rate in Morgan County was at 13.1 percent.

Prolonged job searches

With unemployment figures being reported months after the impact is noticed, the number of people using the Sedalia Career Center’s resources has remained steady. On Friday afternoon, a small group of people worked at the computer stations, where they looked for employment opportunities in the area.

Erica Stone, 29, of Tipton, searched through local job listings Friday. Stone lost her job at a manufacturing plant in August, and has been on the hunt ever since.

While her initial search focused on remaining in the same area and sector, she said she expanded her search to include positions available across several industries. Stone considered looking for work in Columbia and other parts of the state, but has had little luck.

“I’ve been looking for a while now, but there’s just not much anywhere,” Stone said.

Businesses in the energy and health care sectors appear to be the best bets for employment, Christle said, and the state continues to add government positions.

“I was amazed to hear that in the state, the government had hired more,” Christle said. “But I would rather see that in the private sector.”

Jobs bill pending in Legislature

Creating jobs also remains a priority for state lawmakers. Missouri’s unemployment level reached a 25-year high in January, climbing from 7.1 percent to 8 percent, adjusted to account for seasonal employment.

Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday bemoaned the General Assembly’s failure, before going on spring break, to reach an agreement on a version of the jobs bill that seeks to expand the cap on state incentives for employers.

“I think the bill has become mired in a discussion, a worthy discussion, about the economic tools we use,” Nixon said.

Nixon is confident that lawmakers will wrap up debate on the proposal and submit legislation for his approval before the end of this session. He said the bill’s overwhelming bipartisan support in Senate and House committees demonstrate that “clearly there is a backing to move (the bill) forward.”

“I think getting jobs is the No. 1 priority I have got right now,” Nixon said.