Some Fulton area businesses have noticed an increase in business recently and are now hiring more people, a sharp contrast to the deep recession that has gripped area businesses since 2008.
About 100 new Callaway County jobs were identified in a survey with prospects for about 50 more later this year.
"It's not surprising to me that job growth is coming first from existing businesses. Studies show that existing businesses create 90 percent of the new jobs," said Bruce Hackmann, president of the Fulton Area Development Corporation.
Callaway County's unemployment rate has been falling. The last not-seasonally-adjusted Callaway County jobless figure was 6.4 percent in January, compared to the state average of 7.6 percent.
Janea Danuser of Danuser Machine Co. of Fulton said the firm recently hired three more employees and plans to hire three more soon.
"In the fourth quarter of last year, we noticed a pickup in business and that has expanded rapidly going into this year," Danuser said.