Department of Numbers

Columbia, Missouri Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Columbia fell 0.0 percentage points in January 2023 to 2.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Missouri rate. The unemployment rate in Columbia peaked in April 2020 at 7.7% and is now 5.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 1.9% in September 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Columbia unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
Missouri 2.7% 0.0 -0.2
Columbia 2.0% 0.0 -0.8
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Columbia, Missouri, National

Columbia, Missouri monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Columbia, Missouri Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Columbia peaked in April 2020 at 6,851. There are now 4,879 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,955 in September 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 17. Columbia employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Columbia, Missouri) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Columbia 1,972 -26 -828

Number of Unemployed Persons

Columbia, Missouri Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Missouri
Unemployment Rate		 Columbia
Unemployment Rate		 Columbia
Unemployed
February
2023		 3.6% — — —
January
2023		 3.4% 2.7% 2.0% 1,972
December
2022		 3.5% 2.7% 2.0% 1,998
November
2022		 3.6% 2.7% 2.0% 2,018
October
2022		 3.7% 2.7% 2.0% 1,994
September
2022		 3.5% 2.6% 1.9% 1,955
August
2022		 3.7% 2.4% 2.0% 2,033
July
2022		 3.5% 2.2% 2.1% 2,082
June
2022		 3.6% 2.1% 2.2% 2,214
May
2022		 3.6% 2.1% 2.4% 2,400
April
2022		 3.6% 2.3% 2.5% 2,474
March
2022		 3.6% 2.5% 2.6% 2,608

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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