Trendsights Newsletter

Job Postings August 2022 to 2023 Comparison
n August 2023, there were 63,510 online job postings, which was lower than the total job postings in August 2022. Health Care and Social Assistance had nearly twice as many job postings as any other industry.
Kansas City Real Time Labor Market Summary
The Kansas City Region is made up of five counties and is the state’s second-largest region for employment. There were 60,460 total job postings from April to June 2023, with 70 percent of the postings classified as full-time positions. This region accounts for 20 percent of the state’s employment. Health Care & Social Assistance and Retail Trade are the industries with the most employment in this region.
Business Index in Missouri Remains High
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for August was 59.5, increasing 6.9 points from July, indicating an expansionary economy, according to the monthly Mid-America Business Conditions survey conducted by Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. Missouri’s index has indicated expansion since May 2023. The Mid-America Region’s overall index was below grow neutral for the second month. 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.
Cost of Living Second Quarter 2023
Missouri had the seventh lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter of 2023. In general, the most expensive areas to live were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were Midwest and Southern states. MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state. Missouri’s cost of living index for the second quarter 2023 was 89.9, which is relative to the national average of 100.
Concentrated Industries in Missouri
Missouri has a diverse economy. Industry concentration analysis using location quotients (LQ) helps identify the industries that are more specialized in the state. Overall, the Manufacturing sector in Missouri has an LQ of 1.18, indicating the industry is more concentrated in the state than in the U.S. At the three-digit NAICS industry level, Manufacturing represents six of the top 10 most concentrated industries in Missouri. Click on the link above to learn more about Missouri Industries.
Real-Time Labor Market Summaries
issouri employers posted 217,080 job ads from April through June 2023, with 71 percent for full-time positions. Health Care and Social Assistance was the industry with the largest number of job postings, making up 20 percent of the total. The St. Louis Region had more than 75,000 job postings in the quarter, which was the most of any region. See summaries for the state and each region in these quarterly briefs.
Labor Day History
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. See more about the history of Labor Day in this feature from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Missouri Labor Force
In Missouri, the civilian labor force totaled more than 3,125,000 in July 2023. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is either working or actively looking for work. Missouri’s labor force participation rate was 63.6 percent in July, which is one percentage point higher than the U.S. rate. Visit the Missouri Jobs Report for more information about the state and regional labor markets.
July Job Postings 2022 to 2023 Job Ad Comparison
In July 2023, there were 73,740 online job postings compared to 81,660 in July 2022. Despite the overall decline, job postings for Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses had large increases compared to last year. Relatedly, the online job postings for the Health Care and Social Assistance industry also had the largest increase over the year, with a year-over-year change of 26 percent.
Occupational Outlook: Technical Writers
Technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. Most technical writers work full time. Although technical writers work in a variety of industries, they are concentrated in the computer and management, scientific, and technical industries. Technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. In addition, knowledge of or experience with a technical subject, such as science or engineering, is beneficial. The median annual wage for technical writers in Missouri was $79,610 in 2021. Click on the link above to learn more about technical writers.
C2ER Labor Market Analyst Training
For those looking to build knowledge and skills in labor market information and analysis, this C2ER course for novice labor market information (LMI) analysts will provide an introduction to LMI and basic analytical methods that support state and regional workforce development strategies. Through both discussions and hands-on exercises, participants will gain exposure to various workforce, demographic, and economic data sources. New analysts and researchers from workforce-related organizations, such as community colleges and workforce investment boards, may find this introductory training helpful.
Missouri Business Index Remains in Expansion Territory
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for July was 52.6, decreasing 0.5 points from June. This level still indicates an expansionary economy in the state, according to the monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey conducted by Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Regionally, the Mid-America Region’s overall index fell below growth neutral for the first time in five months. Economists consider the index a key economic indicator. It measures several factors such 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.
Census Business Trends and Outlook Survey
The U.S. Census Bureau Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) provides insight into the state of the economy by providing timely data for current business conditions and expectations about future conditions. With data by detailed geographic and subsector data, this tool will provide local, state, and federal officials with near real-time data for policy and decision-making. Collected and reported every two weeks, this data can help take the pulse of the current business climate in Missouri.
July Online Job Postings
There were 73,240 new job postings in Missouri in July 2023, according to data from Lightcast™. This was similar to the 71,090 posting in June 2023. New job postings in the St. Louis (28,320) and Kansas City (18,910) regions made up more than half of the statewide postings during the month.
Back To School Fun Facts and Information
The back-to-school season is among the most significant shopping events for consumers and retailers, second only to the winter holidays, according to the National Retail Federation. Nationally, consumers plan to spend $41.5 billion on back-to-school shopping and $94 billion on college purchases in 2023. From August 4-6, 2023, Missouri hosts a sales tax holiday to help families with certain back-to-school purchases.
BLS Users Conference
On Aug.17, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will hold the 2023 Dallas Regional Office Data Users' Conference, with a particular focus on the oil and gas industry. The public will have the opportunity to hear from senior BLS economists and industry experts through presentations and a panel discussion. These sessions will provide an overview of major economic indicators and a deep dive into how BLS data can be used to make better-informed decisions. BLS economists will be on hand to answer questions throughout the presentation. Join this event to learn about how you can use free BLS data to guide your own research or business decisions.
Construction Real-Time Industry Summary
In 2022 there were 12,000 online job postings for the Construction industry. The top occupation was Construction Managers, making up 11.9 percent of total industry job postings for the time period. Top employers were CDM Smith, J.E. Dunn Construction, The Turner Corporation, Midtown Home Improvements, and Bluescope Building.
Kids Count Data Center
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® is a premier source of data on children, youth and families. Find indicators for cities, counties, states and the U.S. for factors such as demographics, education, economic well-being, family and community, health, and safety. Click on the link above to explore more about Missouri’s youth.
Create Your Own Industry Data Map
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has a tool for the creation of customized Quarterly Census of Wages (QCEW) maps for states and counties for employment, establishments, location quotient, and average weekly wage data. Users can also further refine their selections by time period, industry, and ownership. Click on the link above to start creating your own custom map.
Manufacturing Real-Time Industry Summary
In 2022, there were more than 72,000 online job postings for the Manufacturing industry in Missouri. The occupation with the most postings was Computer Occupations, All Other, making up 4.8 percent of the industry total. The employers with the most job postings were The Boeing Company, General Dynamics, Bayer Corporation, Burns & McDonnell, and Anheuser-Busch Companies. Some of the top specialized skills requested in online job postings for Manufacturing included project management, budgeting, and quality assurance and control.
June 2023 Online Job Postings
There were 71,090 new job postings in Missouri in June 2023, according to data from Lightcast™. That was similar to the 71,580 postings in May 2023. New job postings in the St. Louis (26,800) and Kansas City (18,610) regions made up more than half of the statewide postings during the month.
Missouri's GDP Growth, 1st Quarter 2023
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the broadest measure of an area’s economic activity. In the first quarter of 2023, real GDP increased in all U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Missouri’s GDP grew by 2.6 percent, which exceeded the national average of 2.0 percent. Missouri’s growth rate ranked 18th among states.
May Job Postings 2022 to 2023 Job Ad Comparison
Job postings decreased by 12 percent from May 2022 to May 2023. In May 2023, there were 71,580 online job postings compared to 81,640 in May 2022. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2023 of 2.5 percent was unchanged from April and higher than the rate of 2.1 percent a year ago. Despite the overall decline, job postings for Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses nearly doubled compared to last year.
Missouri Data Center Offers Demographics by Radius Tool
The Missouri Census Data Center Circular Area Profiling System (CAPS) application allows users to enter a location, based on either latitude-longitude coordinates or ZIP code, and up to five radius values in miles. The results are a series of U.S. Census data-based profile reports, one for each radius. This data allows for quick demographic and socioeconomic data comparisons around that geographic point. Click on the link above to use the CAPS tool.