Trendsights Newsletter

2021 Occupational Wages and Employment Statistics Data
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 regions in the state. This data is produced in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by conducting a survey of employers across Missouri. Click on the link above to explore a Tableau dashboard of the 2021 data or download the complete Excel file for Missouri and regions for your own analysis.
May 2022 to May 2021 Job Ad Comparisons
Job postings in Missouri increased by 72 percent from May 2021 to May 2022. In May 2022, there were 113,270 online job postings compared to nearly 66,000 in May 2021. The largest increases were in Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers (356%) and Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (249%).
Father's Day Fun Facts
Father's Day is a day to recognize and honor the men and father figures who have made a difference in our lives. Almost three of every four Midwesterners plan to celebrate Father's Day this year. Shop in one of the 300 hardware stores in Missouri to find the perfect gift! Click on the link above to see other fun facts about this holiday.
Real-Time Labor Market Summaries
Missouri employers posted 230,000 total job postings from January through March 2022, with 78 percent for full-time positions. St. Louis was the city with the most job openings. Health Care and Social Assistance was the industry with the largest number of job postings, making up 25 percent of the total. Click on the above link to see the summaries for the state and each region.
Fastest Growing Occupations 2021-2023
Missouri is projected to have a net increase of nearly 100,000 jobs between 2021 and 2023. Of the top 20 occupations in the state with the fastest growth rate, seven are in the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media major occupation group, and six are in the Personal Care and Service group. These occupations are concentrated in industries that experienced major employment declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but are projected to recover, at least partially, and have high rates of employment growth over the two years.
Missouri Businesses by Size
Missouri had more than 208,000 private sector employers in the first quarter of 2021. Very small businesses comprised a majority of this total, with 79.8 percent of Missouri businesses employing fewer than 10 people. Firms employing 1 to 49 workers made up 96.4 percent of all businesses in Missouri.
Skills Transfer Reports: Office Administration and Support
While some occupations were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the valuable skills developed from those occupations may transfer to other job opportunities. Office and administrative support occupations were one of the most common occupations to file for unemployment insurance benefits in 2021. Related occupations like Interviewers, except Eligibility and Loan, are available with little to no additional training needed. Others, such as Insurance Claims Clerks and Medical Records Clerks, may require more training but offer higher pay. Click on the link above to see more about the skills needed to transfer to other occupations from office and administrative support occupations.
Statewide Top Occupational Openings
Missouri is projected to have more than 383,000 total job openings each year between 2021 and 2023. Of the top 20 occupations with the most total openings, three each are in the major occupation groups of Food Preparation and Serving, Office and Administrative Support, and Transportation and Material Moving. General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses, and Software Developers are projected to have high numbers of job openings as well as average wages higher than the statewide average of $50,140.
Information Technology Skills
Information Technology occupations are some of the most in-demand occupations in Missouri. Computer and mathematical occupations employed more than 86,000 people with an average wage of $82,040 in 2020, according to the 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates. Employment in Information Technology occupations is projected to grow 13.35 percent from 2018-2028. Access more information on top programming languages and skills needed in this in-demand occupation by clicking on the link above.
Short-term Industry Projections
New short-term industry projections have been released for Missouri and the St. Louis and Kansas City regions. The projections data shows the fastest and largest growth by 3-digit NAICS code. Click on the link above to view the data.
Online Job Postings Dashboard - April 2022
There were more than 86,000 new job postings in Missouri in April 2022, up from 68,000 in April 2021, according to data from Emsi Burning Glass. The St. Louis area had the largest number of postings of any region with more than 38,000 during April 2022. See the monthly new online job postings by industry and occupations for Missouri and the 10 Workforce Development Areas in this interactive dashboard.
Short-term Occupational Projections
New short-term occupational projections for 2021-2023 have been released in Excel and PDF formats for the state and St. Louis and Kansas City regions, along with top openings and fastest growing occupations. Click on the link above to view the data.
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.
Explore Occupations by ACT WorkKeys® Score
ACT WorkKeys® assessments measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace. Scores in categories of Applied Math, Workplace Documents, and Graphic Literacy can be one way to determine existing proficiency in those areas. This new interactive dashboard allows users to explore occupations and typical education and training needed by WorkKeys® score and region. Using this tool can help inform users of occupations they may already be prepared for, or which occupations may require further skill building.
Labor Market Information Quick Reference Guide
The Labor Market Information 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.
Mother's Day 2022 Spending Plans Increase
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are eager to honor mothers with flowers, gift cards, an evening out, and jewelry in 2022. Mother's Day spending is projected to reach $31.7 billion nationwide, with the average person spending $245.76. View this infographic for some fast facts and figures about how mothers will be honored on their special day.
Career Pathways: Energy Solutions
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. In the Energy Solutions industry, careers are available in a variety of fields, including Engineering/Quality Control and Production. Learn more about the career opportunities in this industry at the link above.
Energy Solutions Industry Real-Time Jobs Analysis
The Energy Solutions industry had more than 8,000 online job postings in 2021. Computer Occupations were the top occupation, making up nearly 5 percent of total industry job postings during the year. Click on the link above to learn more about the top jobs postings in this industry and the skills and certifications most commonly requested for those jobs.
Gross Domestic Product for State, Metros, and Counties
The broadest measure of economic activity is gross domestic product (GDP), measuring the monetary value of goods and services produced in an area. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, gross domestic product for Missouri and the state's metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and counties can be explored in these interactive dashboards.
MCDC Area Profiles
The Missouri Census Data Center (MCDC) provides a variety of tools to easily access information from the U.S. Census Bureau. One tool, ACS Profiles, is a summary of the most frequently accessed data items from the American Community Survey (ACS) summary data products. Recently updated with the latest data ACS 2020 5-year data, users can select a time period and geography to generate a quick and downloadable report for a variety of areas.
Online Job Postings Dashboard - March 2022
The trend in online job postings can be an early indicator of employer interest in hiring and assist individuals seeking job opportunities in currently in-demand occupations. Using data from Emsi Burning Glass, this interactive dashboard shows monthly new online job postings for Missouri and the 10 Workforce Development Areas, and the top postings by industry and occupation. There were more than 88,400 new job postings in Missouri in March 2022, up from 80,200 in February 2022.
What Can You Learn About Counties from the American Community Survey?
The American Community Survey (ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation. Explore data on popular topics in this visualization from the U.S. Census Bureau using data from the recently released 2016-2020 ACS data estimates.
Missouri Business Index Highest in Mid America Region
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for March was 78.1, increasing by 9.6 points from February, and the highest index among the Mid-America region. The monthly Mid-America Business Conditions Survey, conducted by Creighton University, is a leading economic indicator for a nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas. Economists consider the index a key economic indicator, measuring factors such as new orders, production, supplier delivery times, backlogs, inventories, prices, employment, import orders, and exports. The Mid-America index has been above growth neutral from 22 of the last 23 months.
Target Industry Job Postings: Health Care Science and Services
There were nearly 87,000 online job postings for the Health Care Science and Service industry from January 2021 to December 2021. The top occupation was Registered Nurses, making up 18 percent of total industry job postings for the year. Other occupations with a large percentage of postings were Medical and Health Services Managers, Nursing Assistants, and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurses.