Trendsights Newsletter

Career Pathways: Health Science
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. The health care industry provides a variety of work opportunities for every interest. From jobs that directly care for patients to careers that keep the whole system going, important jobs are waiting to be filled in Patient Care, Diagnostic/Therapeutic roles, and Business Operation.
Missouri Personal and Per Capita Income 2020
Per capita income in Missouri was $51,177 in 2020, a 5.2 percent increase from 2019. The District of Columbia again led the nation with the highest per capita income at $87,064, followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The per capita income for the U.S. was $59,729. Missouri's total personal income increased by 5.4 percent in 2020 and the nation's personal income increased by 6.1 percent. These increases were largely due to financial supports provided to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Order Career Grade Posters
The Missouri Career Grades poster provides a quick look at occupations in the state with the top outlook through 2028. This easy reference can be used to help spark conversations about career opportunities with best outlook at a variety of education and training levels. The 24 x 36 inch poster can be used by any organization providing career planning or job seeker services. Order the poster for delivery, or download flyer-sized version in English or Spanish.
Understanding Career Grades
With nearly 800 occupations to consider, choosing a career can be challenging. Missouri Career Grades is a tool to help compare the future outlook of occupations in Missouri. To make the comparisons easier, letter grades, called Career Grades, are assigned to various occupations within the state based on each occupation’s outlook over the next decade. Occupations in the Grade A category have the best outlook while Grade F occupations have the worst outlook. Grades are based on a combination of projected total job openings, projected percent growth, and the average wage of an occupation.
Career Pathways - Agribusiness
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. Agribusiness industry pathways of Crop and Animal Production, Research and Development, Logging, and Business Operations and Sales all offer career opportunities to start in the field and grow with additional training and experience.
Job Postings and Top Skills - Agribusiness
The Transportation and Logistics industry had more than 25,000 job postings in 2020 for top demand jobs. The top occupation was Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver, making up 42 percent of total Missouri job postings for the time period. Skills such as Customer Service, Communication, Scheduling, Forklift Operation, and Logistics are in demand by employers in this industry.
Business Formation Statistics by State
The Business Formation Statistics (BFS) are an experimental data product of the U.S. Census Bureau. BFS provides timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations nationally and across the states. In Missouri, this data shows business applications totaled 7,269 in June 2021, up 21 percent from a year ago. This data was developed in research collaboration with economists affiliated with Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, University of Maryland, and University of Notre Dame.
Middle Skills Jobs Report
Middle-skill occupations are an essential part of Missouri’s workforce, accounting for four out of every 10 jobs. Broadly defined as occupations that require some training after high school but less than a bachelor’s degree, middle-skill jobs can offer good pay or career pathways with industry-recognized training and credentials that can be as short as a few months. Construction; Healthcare; Installation, Maintenance and Repair; and Production are highlighted as particular areas of opportunity for middle-skill jobs.
Missouri Gross State Product 2020
The broadest measure of economic activity is the gross domestic product (GDP). Gross Domestic Product by State (GSP) measures the value-added from industries in that state. According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Missouri ranked 22nd nationally in GSP at $277.4 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars in 2020, a 3.6 percent decrease from 2019. Nationally, inflation-adjusted GDP decreased 3.5 percent over the same period. Declines in both state and national economic activity during 2020 are a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missouri Science and Engineering State Profile
The National Science Foundation provides an interactive website to access state-level data and rankings on a variety of science and engineering metrics. Use this tool to compare states in areas such as the number of doctorates earned in science and engineering fields, federal research and development obligations, patents, and small business innovation research awards.
Career Pathways: Transportation and Logistics
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. Transportation and Logistics industry pathways of Procurement and Sales, Transportation, and Warehousing and Distribution all offer career opportunities to start in the field and grow with additional training and experience.
Job Postings and Top Skills for Transportation and Logistics
The Transportation and Logistics industry had more than 25,000 job postings in 2020 for top demand jobs. The top occupation was Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver, making up 42 percent of total Missouri job postings for the time period. Skills such as Customer Service, Communication, Scheduling, Forklift Operation, and Logistics are in demand by employers in this industry.
Business Applications and Ownership Motivators
Recessions tend to discourage new business formations as entrepreneurs face uncertainty and funding challenges. However, 2020 was different as business applications surged in the second half of the year. Entrepreneurs saw opportunities to respond to consumers spending more online — a trend fueled by COVID-19’s impact on the economy and federal income-support programs.
Business Index Remains High
For 13 of the past 14 months, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, remained above growth neutral. Economists consider the index 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 sluggish economy. Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for June was 67.7, a slight decrease from May, but still well in expansion territory, according to the monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey, conducted by Creighton University, Omaha, NE. Click on the link above to learn more about this Business Index.
2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book
The 2021 Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Book is now available. This resource provides data for states and the nation about child well-being for key indicators in four domains: Economic Well-Being, Health, Education, and Family and Community. View this book and the interactive portal to discover data about Missouri children and families.
Career Pathways: Education
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field that share common skills, knowledge, and interests. The pathways show examples of how different levels of industry-recognized training or education can help provide opportunities for career advancement. Professionals in the Education Pathway are preparing today's students to be tomorrow's workforce, and high wages and projected growth often make these occupations a good career choice. See the report for details on opportunities in the pathways of Instruction, Support Services, Professional Support Services, and Administrative & Business Support.
Fourth of July Fun Facts
Almost nine in ten Midwestern consumers plan to celebrate Independence Day in 2021. This year’s Fourth of July may be celebrated differently but still include various festivities like fireworks, food, and time with family. The National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics Survey predicts those celebrating the holiday in the Midwest will spend an average of $72.89 on food, as 66 percent plan to have a cookout, BBQ, or picnic.
Occupational Data Dashboard
How much does a registered nurse earn in the Kansas City area? How many electricians are employed in southeast Missouri? These are the kinds of questions that the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data can answer. OEWS data provides employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations in Missouri, as well as sub-state areas. This data is produced by conducting a survey of employers across Missouri, to ensure that data is available for many different geographic areas. Explore data for your area in this new interactive dashboard.
Missouri STEM Report 2018 to 2028
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEM-Related occupations are some of the most in-demand and highest paying jobs in Missouri. In fact, the need for such employees is projected to grow twice as fast as the average for all occupations. The projected growth rate for STEM and STEM-Related occupations from 2018-2028 is 12 percent, while the statewide average for all occupations is 4.5 percent. By 2028, the total employment for STEM and STEM-Related occupations is expected to be more than 432,000, an increase of over 46,000 jobs. View the full report to learn more about STEM occupations.
Online Job Postings Dashboard
Trends in online job postings can be used as an early indicator of employer interest in hiring and assist individuals seeking job opportunities in currently in-demand occupations. Using data from Burning Glass Technologies, this interactive dashboard shows monthly new online job postings for Missouri and the 10 Workforce Development Areas.
Father's Day Fun Facts
Father's Day is a day to honor and recognize the men and father figures who have made a difference in our lives. Three of every four Midwesterners plan to celebrate Father's Day this year on June 20, 2021. One way to celebrate may be to visit one of the more than 200 golf courses in Missouri. Click on the link above to see fun facts and figures about this holiday.
First Quarter Cost of Living 2021
Missouri had the 9th lowest cost of living in the United States for the first quarter 2021. 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. For the past 17 quarters, Missouri has been in the top 10 for lowest cost of living in the nation.
Business Index Continues to Grow
For the twelfth straight month, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, advanced above growth neutral since the beginning of the pandemic. Economists consider the index, which measures such factors as new orders, production, supplier delivery times, backlogs, inventories, prices, employment, import orders and exports, a key economic indicator. Typically, a score greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy while a score below 50 forecasts a sluggish economy. Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for May was 69.5, decreasing 3.7 points from April, but still well in expansion territory, according to the monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey, conducted by Creighton University, Omaha, NE. Click on the link above to learn more about this Business Index.
Occupations with the Most Job Postings for May
Registered Nurses, Retail Salespersons and Software Developers were some of occupations with largest number of online job postings in Missouri and the 10 labor market regions in May 2021. Burning Glass Technologies, Labor/Insight™ collects job posting information from over 35,000 web sources, including job boards, newspapers, large and small employer websites. This easy-to-view Excel file download shows the occupations with the largest number of online job postings in May 2021 for Missouri and each of the regions.