Employment Shrinks Under Matt Blunt

It's not a bug, it's a feature:

The healthy hospitality sector accounted for more than 11,000 of Missouri's new jobs, indicating the tourism industry is weathering this summer's high gas prices, the report says.

Jobs also grew in the educational and health fields and professional and business services.

The biggest drop came in government jobs. Blunt can claim credit for that, too. The new governor began slashing the state payroll last spring.

Since June 2004, state government has lost 2,900 jobs while both the local and federal government work forces have grown, according to Marty Romitti, director of the state's research arm.