Trendsights Newsletter

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.
Target Industry: Manufacturing
The Manufacturing industry includes material and product producers and the industries that support them. Manufacturing represents 12.6 percent of total private sector employment in Missouri, employing 312,208 workers across 11,186 establishments in 2023. Statewide annual average wage for the manufacturing industry in 2023 was $74,441.
The Growing Impact of AI on the Workforce
Business use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Missouri is small but growing. In a May 2024 survey, 89 percent of Missouri businesses reported not using AI, 5 percent were unsure and 6.1 percent used AI, slightly more than the U.S. average (5.7%). While the percentage of firms using AI is small, this level is nearly double the share of Missouri businesses that reported using AI a year earlier (3.1%). Looking ahead, 8.4 percent of Missouri firms expect to adopt AI within the next six months, indicating a slow but steady belief that AI adoption will increase. The top uses of AI for both Missouri and U.S. businesses include marketing automation, chatbot assistance, natural language processing and data analytics.
August Job Comparison Report
Job postings remained steady from August 2023 to August 2024, increasing 0.4 percent. In August 2024, there were 62,120 online job postings compared to 61,890 in August 2023. Online job postings for Registered Nurses had the largest increase (20%), while Retail Salespersons had the largest decrease in online job postings (-13%).
Real-time Brief: Manufacturing
During 2023, there were more than 50,000 online job postings for the Manufacturing industry in Missouri. The occupation with the most postings was Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, which made up 3.2 percent of the industry total. Some of the top specialized skills requested in online job postings for Manufacturing included project management, computer science, forklift truck operation, and warehousing.
industry Projections 2022-2032
New 2022 to 2032 industry projections for Missouri estimate employment in the state to grow by 4.3 percent, or more than 136,000 in employment, during the decade. Health Care and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; and Finance and Insurance are projected to be the industries with the largest numeric growth.
Occupational Projections 2022-2032
Occupational projections show Missouri is projected to have more than 357,000 total job openings each year from 2022 to 2032. The fastest growing occupational groups are projected to be Computer and Mathematical, Healthcare Support, and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical occupations. Occupational projections for both Missouri and its regions provide an outlook for job growth in the future.
2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Released
The 2023 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 12, 2024.
Occupational Outlook: Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical therapist assistants are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses, and work in physical therapists’ offices or in hospitals. Physical therapist assistants entering the occupation typically need an associate degree from an accredited program and a license or certification. The median annual wage for physical therapist assistants was $64,080 in May 2023 for the nation and $61,310 in Missouri.
Cost of Living Second Quarter 2024
Missouri had the seventh lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter of 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 second quarter 2024 was 88.6.
Online Job Postings for August 2024
There were 62,380 new job postings in Missouri in August 2024, according to data from Lightcast™. This was lower than the 64,450 postings in July 2024. The St. Louis region had 1,620 manufacturing industry job postings in August 2024, followed by the Kansas City (710), Central (430), Ozark (330), North (280), and Southwest (220) regions. Click on the link above to view more job postings for Missouri and its regions.
July 2024 Job Postings Comparison
There were more than 61,000 job postings in Missouri in July 2024, a decrease of 12 percent compared to July 2023. Online job postings for Sales Representatives of Services had the largest increase (69%) in job postings over the year, while Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers had the largest decrease (-40%).
LMI Quick Reference Guide
The Labor Market Information (LMI) Quick Reference Guide provides descriptions and uses for many of the most common labor market information data sets. With links to data about employment, wages, labor force trends, demographics, and career planning products, the quick reference guide is a good place to start for anyone wanting to learn more about these valuable resources.