Trendsights Newsletter

Southeast Economic and Workforce Report
The Southeast Region workforce had more than 158,100 employees in 2024, making up 5.2 percent of Missouri’s employment. Health Care and Social Assistance was the largest employing industry in the region in 2024, with employment totaling nearly 32,000. Retail Trade was the second largest industry, followed by Manufacturing and Educational Services.
Target Industries: Information Technology
There were over 23,000 online job postings in Missouri for the Information Technology industry from January 2024 to December 2024. The top occupation was Software Developers, which made up 9.2 percent of total industry job postings for the time period. Some top specialized skills required included Project Management, Computer Science, Agile Methodology, Marketing, and Workflow Management.
Industry Concentration in Missouri
Industry concentration analysis using location quotients (LQ) helps identify the industries that are more specialized in a particular area. Businesses that are more specialized due to exporting goods and services, or because they draw customers in from outside the state, are important sources of new income. Overall, the manufacturing sector in Missouri has an LQ of 1.2, indicating the industry is more concentrated in the state than in the U.S. Click on the link above to view other industries that have a high concentration in Missouri.
Latest Federal Beige Books for Kansas City and St. Louis
The Beige Book is a Federal Reserve System publication about current economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. It characterizes regional economic conditions and prospects based on a variety of mostly qualitative information, gathered directly from each District's sources. Missouri is the only state with two federal reserve banks – one in Kansas City and one in St. Louis. Reports for these regions give an update on labor markets, prices, consumer spending, and industry activity. Click on the link above to learn more about economic activity across the country in October.
Halloween Fun Facts
Celebrate Halloween with some spine-chilling facts and figures. Total spending in the nation for Halloween is estimated to reach $13.1 billion, with the average person spending $14.45. Indulge in a Cherry Mash from Missouri’s oldest candy company in St. Joseph or visit the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City for a ghost tour. Click on the link above to learn more scary facts about Halloween.
Target Industry: Biosciences
There were more than 10,000 online job postings for the Biosciences industry from January 2024 to December 2024. The top occupation was Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, making up 3.9 percent of total industry job postings for the time period. The employers with the most job postings were Merck & Company, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, Eurofins, and Bausch Health. Browse the other 10 Target Industries under Workforce/Target Occupations.
Occupational Spotlight: Project Management Specialists
There were more than 500 online job postings for Project Management Specialists in Missouri in September 2025. Project Management Specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project. Workers in this occupation typically need a bachelor’s degree that may be in a variety of fields, including business or project management. Although not always required, certification may be beneficial. Employment for Project Management Specialists in Missouri is projected to grow by 9 percent by 2032 and had an average annual wage of $95,940 in 2024.
West Central Economic and Workforce Report
The West Central Region workforce had more than 123,200 employees in 2024, making up 4.1 percent of Missouri’s employment. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry was the largest employing industry in the region with over 16,700 jobs. Manufacturing, Educational Services, and Retail Trade were the next largest industries in the area, each with employment over 10,000 in 2024.
Commuting Profile: St. Louis Region
The St. Louis Region employs approximately 40 percent of Missouri’s workforce. Of the 938,866 workers employed in the St. Louis WDA in 2022, 79 percent commuted to work from within the region. Nearly half of the employees living in the region commuted fewer than 10 miles to work each day. Click on the link above to learn more about the St. Louis Region’s workforce commuting habits.
Veteran-Owned Businesses
In 2022, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reported that veterans, roughly 4.4 percent of the labor force, were the majority owners of over 1.6 million firms across the United States. Veteran-owned firms are found throughout Missouri’s economy. Veterans are most represented in arts, entertainment and recreation (8%); followed closely by wholesale trade (7%); and manufacturing, construction, and transportation and warehousing (6%). Click on the link above to learn more about veteran-owned businesses in this report from MU Extension.
Missouri Business Index for September
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for September 2025 was 47.1, a decline of 7.3 points from the August level of 54.4. In comparison, the Mid-America Region index dipped to 49.8 in September. The monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey conducted by Creighton University is considered a key economic indicator. It measures such factors as new orders, production, supplier delivery times, backlogs, inventories, prices, employment, import orders and exports. Typically, a score greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy while a score below 50 forecasts a more sluggish economy.
North Region Economic and Workforce Report 2025
The North Region, which is comprised of 34 counties and is home to Kirksville, Hannibal, and St. Joseph, had more than 239,700 employees in 2024, making up 7.9 percent of Missouri’s employment. Learn more about North Region in this annual economic overview.
Dashboards Offer Snapshot for Missouri’s Regions
MERIC’s regional dashboards show a snapshot of a wide array of economic and workforce indicators for the state and each of the nine workforce regions. Data for income, employment, industries, occupations, and wages is available in this interactive dashboard.
Manufacturing in Missouri
Manufacturing is a major component of Missouri’s $451.2 billion economy, representing 11.6 percent ($52.38 billion) of the state’s gross state product (GSP) in 2024. Nationally, manufacturing contributed 10.0 percent to total GDP. The manufacturing industry employs more than 284,000 workers across 8,400 establishments in the state.
2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Released
The 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates were recently released for the nation, states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, congressional districts, metropolitan areas, and counties and places with a population of 65,000 or more. This quick link to the Missouri profile shows estimates for subjects such as population demographics, educational attainment, commute to work, mortgage status and rent, income, poverty, and health insurance coverage. The 5-Year ACS estimates with data for smaller geographies is scheduled for release on December 11, 2025.
Missouri Economic and Workforce Report
The Missouri Economic and Workforce Report provides a broad overview of Missouri’s economy in the last year, tracking a selection of indicators. In this annual review of the Missouri economy, changes in gross state product, personal income, civilian labor force, unemployment, and employment are analyzed for the current period and more broadly over the last 5 to 10 years. The report includes highlights for Missouri and its nine workforce development areas.
Accommodations and Food Services Employment in Missouri
Analysis from the Missouri Census Data Center shows employment in the Accommodation and Food Services sector remained relatively stable in Missouri between 2011 and 2021. Mercer County saw the most significant percent decline, with an approximate 89% drop in sector employment over the decade. Accommodation and Food Services encompasses a wide range of establishments that primarily engage in providing lodging and/or preparing meals, snacks, and beverages for immediate consumption. These establishments play a vital role in supporting tourism, business travel, and community life, offering essential services to both residents and visitors.
Online Job Postings for August 2025
Job postings are an indicator of demand and opportunities in an area. Online job postings in Missouri decreased from 77,260 in July 2025 to 61,640 in August. Health Care and Social Assistance continues to lead job postings in every region.
Business Formation Statistics for July
Business formations data indicate that business applications in the U.S. totaled 470,571 in July 2025, an increase of 2.6 percent compared to June, seasonally adjusted. Business Formation Statistics (BFS) provided by the U.S. Census Bureau measure business initiation activity and the cycle from initiation to realized business formation. These statistics give an early look at business formation activity within the U.S. and at a detailed state and regional level. In Missouri, business applications in July 2025 totaled 8,277 applications, an increase of 2.1 percent from June.
Cost of Living Second Quarter 2025
Missouri had the sixth lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter of 2025. In general, the most expensive areas to live were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were the Midwest and Southern states.
Career Pathway: Agribusiness
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. The pathways use industry-recognized credentials and are examples of how different levels of training or education can help provide opportunities for career advancement. Agribusiness represents 1.9 percent of total private sector employment in Missouri, employing more than 47,800 workers in over 2,400 businesses in 2023. Employment in Agribusiness has been steadily growing, increasing an average of 2.1 percent per year from 2018 to 2023.
North Region Career Outlook
Career Grades are a tool to help make comparisons between occupations. Each occupation is assigned a letter grade from A+ to F based on its outlook over the next decade. The North region is projected to have over 21,400 annual job openings through 2032. Examples of occupations in the region with an A or B career grade are stockers and order fillers, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, nursing assistants, maintenance and repair workers, general and operations managers, and human resources specialists.
Occupational Handbook: Machinists and Tool and Die Makers
Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate equipment to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools. Skills needed for these occupations can include math, blueprint and engineering drawing reading, metalworking, use of welding and cutting tools, and the programming and use of CNC machines. Some workers in these fields are trained on the job and others learn through training or apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, or community and technical colleges. The median annual wage for machinists in Missouri was $57,920 in 2024 and the median annual wage for tool and die makers was $60,940. The occupations combined are projected to have an estimated 800 openings annually in the state.
Ozark Region Commuting Profile
The Ozark Workforce Development Area (WDA) consists of seven counties, including Greene, which is home to the region’s largest city (Springfield). In 2022, the Ozark WDA employed 9.3 percent of Missouri’s workforce. Of the more than 210,000 workers employed in the region, 75.2 percent commuted to work from within the region. The remainder (24.8%) commuted into Ozark WDA from homes outside of the region. Click on the link above to learn more about the Ozark Region’s workforce commuting habits.