Economic Data
Economic Data
Cost of Living
MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state. Missouri had the sixth lowest cost of living, tied with Arkansas in the United States for 2024.
County Average Wages
These figures are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. A cooperative program between the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Exports
Gross Domestic Product
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 a state.
View Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Data Series
Income Measures
LMI Quick Reference Guide
Labor Market Information Quick Reference Guide outlining data tools, descriptions, uses and links to products from employment data, wages, labor force data, demographics to career planning products.
Purchasing Manager's Index
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for March 2025 was 51.5 decreasing 4.7 points from February level of 56.2, still in expansion territory. The Mid-America region, according to the monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey conducted by Creighton University climbed above growth neutral for the third consecutive month.
Unemployment
Current Employment Situation Releases
Industry Data
Industry Data
Current Employment Statistics (CES)
This survey of payroll records covers over 300,000 businesses on a monthly basis and provides detailed industry data on employment, hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm payrolls for the States and Nation.
View Current Employment Statistics
Industry Employment Projections
Browse industry employment projections by region or specific industry in this interactive application. Employment projections give an overview of where the Missouri economy may be headed based on past and present trends. The purpose is to offer some insight into questions regarding the future growth or decline of industries and occupations.
View Industry Employment Projections
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor and the State Workforce Agencies (SWA's). The program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available files include data on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry and by ownership (Private, Federal, State or Local Government). Data for various geographic levels including counties are available.
Occupational Data
Occupational Data
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (OEWS)
The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program is a Federal-State cooperative effort that produces employment and wage estimates for about 800 different occupations. In Missouri, the program is operated by the Missouri Department of Economic Development/Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
View Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Occupational Projections
Occupational projections are calculated by applying staffing patterns supplied by the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program to industry projections. Occupational projections differ from industry projections, however, in that occupational projections include self-employed workers.
Career Pathways
Career Pathways are a sequence of training and education programs designed to develop a person’s academic and technical skills. By obtaining stackable credentials and developing new skills a worker can advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment in a given industry or occupational sector.
Demographic Data
Demographic Data
Population
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes population demographics based on data collected through the Decennial Census and annual American Community Survey. Decennial Census demographic profiles provide data on age and sex distributions, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, household relationship and type. The American Community Survey provides data, collected on an on-going basis, on education, language, housing and jobs. This series will feature county trends and statistics for the state of Missouri.
WIOA County Demographics
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State and Regional Labor Force and Demographic Data in an Excel File.