Trendsights Newsletter

Career Grades by Region
The latest occupational projections show the estimated employment growth and openings for more than 800 occupations in Missouri statewide and by region. Career Grades are a tool to help make comparisons between those occupations. Each occupation is assigned a letter grade from A+ to F based on its outlook over the next decade. Grades are based on a combination of projected total job openings, projected percent growth, and current average wages. Click on the link to see Career Grades Summaries for Missouri and each region.
Gross Domestic Product by County
The broadest measure of economic activity is gross domestic product (GDP). According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Missouri ranked 21st nationally among states in total gross domestic product in 2023. Within Missouri, the top five counties for total GDP contribution were St. Louis County, Jackson County, St. Louis City, St. Charles County, and Greene County.
Career Pathways Update
A person can continue to build upon their skills and education throughout their career, often through career pathways within sectors. Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field that share common skills, knowledge, and interests. Pathways for 11 key industries in Missouri help outline possible career progression and the education and skills that support each step in the path. Updated data for all 11 key industries is available in these latest reports.
Online Job Postings - December 2024
There were 47,900 new job postings in Missouri in December 2024, according to data from Lightcast™. This was lower than the 52,740 postings in November 2024. The St. Louis region had 1,070 manufacturing industry job postings in December 2024, followed by the Kansas City (500), Central (370), Ozark (250), North (160), and Southwest (130) regions. Click on the link above to view more job postings for Missouri and its regions.
2019-2023 American Community Survey Estimates Released
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new 2019-2023 American Community Survey five-year average data. These statistics cover a broad range of topics about social, economic, demographic, and housing characteristics for all geographies, including the nation, states, counties, places, metros, and census tracts.
Winter Holiday Fun Facts
This holiday season, 9 in 10 shoppers plan to celebrate the holidays. Total holiday spending is forecasted to be more than $979 billion, with over $28.6 billion spent on gift cards alone. See this and other fun facts for travel plans, shipping, spending, and Christmas trees in this quick winter holiday outlook.
Career Grades Printable Flyers and Poster
The Missouri Career Grades poster provides a quick look at occupations in the state with the top outlook through 2032. This easy reference can be used to spark conversations about career opportunities with the 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.
PNC Christmas Price Index
For 41 years, the whimsical holiday tradition of calculating the prices of the 12 gifts from the classic song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” continues. The total PNC Christmas Price Index increased 5.4 percent in 2024, totaling $49,263. The total cost of all the gifts bestowed by True Love when you count each repetition of the song reaches $209,272 for all 364 presents. The 10 Lords-a-Leaping is the most expensive gift in the song.
October Job Postings
Job postings increased 11.2 percent from October 2023 to October 2024. In October 2024, there were 63,290 online job postings compared to 56,940 in October 2023. Online job postings for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing had the largest increase (36%), while Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses had the largest decrease in online job postings (-7%).
Target Industry: Hospitality
The Hospitality industry is made up of the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, such as museums, historical sites, amusements parks, casinos, and other recreation; accommodation including hotels, motels, and other traveler accommodations; and food service sectors like food and drinking places. Hospitality represents 12.5 percent of total private sector employment in Missouri, employing 308,672 workers across 16,516 establishments in 2023.
Kansas City Economic and Workforce Report
The Kansas City Region is comprised of five counties in the west central part of Missouri. The Kansas City Region averaged over 562,900 jobs in 2023 and gained 9,619 jobs from 2022 to 2023. From 2019 to 2023, the Kansas City Region averaged 0.7 percent compound annual growth for an overall employment gain of 3.3 percent. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry had the highest employment in the Kansas City region, with over 85,000 jobs in 2023. Click on the link above to learn more about the Kansas City region.
Thanksgiving Fun Facts
Turkey will be on the menu for many American households for the Thanksgiving holiday, with 40 million turkeys likely to be consumed nationwide. Missouri produced 15.5 million turkeys in 2024 and was ranked in the top five states for turkey production. Learn more fun facts about Thanksgiving’s and Missouri’s contribution to the main course at the link above.
Cost of Living Third Quarter 2024
Missouri had the sixth lowest cost of living in the United States for the third quarter in 2024. 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. 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 third quarter 2024 was 89.0.
Real-Time Brief: Biosciences
There were more than 12,000 online job postings for the Biosciences industry from January 2023 to December 2023. The top occupation was Veterinarians, making up 3.0 percent of total industry job postings for the time period. Some of the specialized skills commonly requested in job postings for this industry include pharmaceuticals, project management, and biology.
Manufacturing Industry Highlights
Manufacturing accounts for 11.6 percent of the state’s private sector employment, with 286,769 jobs across 8,303 establishments. The industry has added over 13,600 jobs since 2018, growing 5 percent over five years. This is nearly three times the 1.7 percent national growth rate over the same period. Manufacturing is a major component of Missouri’s $430.11 billion economy, representing 11.7 percent ($50.54 billion) of the total gross state product in 2023.
West Central Region Industry Projections (Excel File)
The West Central Region is comprised of 13 counties and is home to Warrensburg, Sedalia, Lexington, Clinton and Nevada. Employment projections for the region estimate employment will grow by 3.04 percent from 2022 to 2032. The largest growth is projected to be in General Merchandise Retailers, while Support Activities for Transportation industry is projected to have the fastest growth. This Excel file provides the projected outlook for all industries in the region.
Occupational Outlook: Power Plant Operators
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power. Those working in this occupation typically need a high school diploma or equivalent combined with extensive on-the-job training that may include a combination of classroom and hands-on training. Many jobs require a background check and drug and alcohol screenings. Nuclear power reactor operators also need a license. The median annual wage for power plant operators in Missouri was $96,490 in 2023. Nationally, the median annual wage was $97,010.
Real-Time Brief: Energy Solutions
There were more than 27,000 online job postings for the Energy Solutions industry from January 2023 to December 2023. The top occupation was Civil Engineers, making up 3.8 percent of total industry job postings for the time period. Some of the specialized skills commonly requested in job postings for this industry include project management, computer science, and construction.
Halloween Fun Facts
Celebrate Halloween with some ghostly facts and figures. Total spending in the nation for Halloween is estimated to reach $11.6 billion, with the average person spending $103.63. Pick a pumpkin at one of the 47 pumpkin patches in Missouri or visit the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City for a ghost tour.
Target Industry: Information Technology
The Information Technology industry includes information sector employment such as software publishers and data processing, as well as professional and technical services such as computer system design, technical consulting, and research and development services. Information Technology represents 3.9 percent of total private sector employment in Missouri, employing 97,068 workers across 18,277 establishments in 2023.
North Workforce Region Occupational Projections - Excel File
Occupational projections show the North Workforce Region is projected to have more than 21,444 total openings each year from 2022 to 2032. Of the top 10 occupations with the most total openings, three are in the Transportation and Material Moving-related major occupation group. Occupational projections for both Missouri and its regions provide an outlook for future job growth.
Southwest Economic and Workforce Report 2024
he Southwest Region is comprised of seven counties in the southwest corner of Missouri. This region is home to several cities, including Joplin, Neosho, and Monett. The Southwest Region workforce had more than 131,500 employees in 2023, making up 4.4 percent of Missouri’s employment and averaged over 112,600 jobs in 2023. Click on the link above to learn more about the Southwest region.
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 meaningful 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 five to 10 years. Data for 2023 show growth for the Missouri and U.S. economies, with an increase in gross domestic output, income, and employment across many sectors.
Target Industry: Construction
The Construction industry includes development, production, and support services of specialty trade, building, and heavy and civil engineering. Construction represents 5.8 percent of total private sector employment in Missouri, employing 143,528 workers across 17,161 establishments in 2023. Employment grew an average of 3.4 percent per year from 2018 to 2023, adding a total of 20,866 jobs. The average annual wage in the Construction industry was $74,631.