Trendsights Newsletter

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.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians
Most electricians learn their trade in an apprenticeship program. For each year of the program, apprentices typically receive 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training as well as some technical instruction. Employment of electricians is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in both Missouri and the U.S. In Missouri, the average annual wage in 2020 was $62,000.
Target Industry Job Postings: Construction
There were more than 10,000 online job postings for the Construction industry from January 2021 to December 2021. The top occupation was Construction Managers, making up 12 percent of total industry job postings for the year. Some of the most commonly posted specialized skills for jobs in this industry include repair, project management, and occupational health and safety.
Business Formations Statistics by State
From February 2021 to February 2022, Missouri business applications were up 2.7 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics by State data. Shown in an interactive Tableau dashboard, data can be filtered for type of business application, month of data, and comparison timeframes. Click on the link above to learn more about Missouri business applications.
Real-Time Target Industry Summaries
Real-Time Labor Industry Summaries for 11 key Missouri industry sectors provide an overview of the top online job postings, employers posting the most jobs in the field, and advertised skills and certifications for each of those sectors in the state. These quick stats for industries such as Agribusiness, Biosciences, Energy Solutions, and Hospitality help show the common skills and certifications that are most frequently in-demand for employers in each of these industries. (Visit the Target Occupations tab at the link above to see reports for each industry.)
Gender Wage Gap by State
A new U.S. Census Bureau visualization tool depicts the gender-based wage gap at the state level using 2019 American Community Survey and 2019 Puerto Rico Community Survey data. The wage gap data visualization highlights the top three occupations for men and women for each state by count of workers. In Missouri, there is a gender pay gap of over $10,000 between men and women, which is similar to the U.S. average.
Target Industry: Transportation and Logistics
The Transportation and Logistics Industry includes production of containers, wholesale trade, consulting services, and transportation and warehousing services. Transportation and Logistics represents 9.8 percent of total private sector employment, employing 224,031 workers across 19,564 establishments in Missouri.
January Job Posting Comparison
Job postings in Missouri increased by 27 percent from January 2021 to January 2022, increasing 68,200 online job postings compared to 53,550 in January 2021. The largest increases in over the year were in job postings for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (53%) and Computer Occupations, All Other (50%).
New Target Industry Briefs
Industry reports for 11 key Missouri industry sectors have been updated to provide an overview of the employment, establishments, average wages, and geographic distribution of those sectors in the state. These quick stats for industries such as Agribusiness, Health Care Science and Services, Manufacturing, and Transportation and Logistics help show the importance of these and other industries to Missouri's economy. (Visit the Target Industry tab at the link above.)
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians operate special imaging equipment to create images or to conduct tests. Most diagnostic imaging workers are employed in hospitals, while many of the rest worked in physicians’ offices or medical and diagnostic laboratories. This occupation typically requires an associate degree for employment. Employment of medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in both Missouri and the U.S. In Missouri, the average annual wage for those in these careers range from $50,000 to $74,000 per year.
Southwest Region Profile
The Southwest Region is comprised of seven counties in the southwest portion of Missouri. This region is home to several cities including Joplin, Neosho, and Monett. The Southwest Region workforce has more than 127,800 employees, making up four percent of Missouri’s employment. Click above to learn more about the industries and workforce that make up the Southwest Region.
New Household Pulse Survey Data Released
The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from the latest phase of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is a new monthly release of data tracking current household trends on socioeconomic topics such as food scarcity, child care disruptions, health, and housing insecurity for the U.S. and states.
West Central Real-Time Labor Market Summary
West Central employers posted 2,941 job ads from October through December 2021, with 77 percent for full-time positions. Health Care and Social Assistance was the industry with the largest number of job postings, making up 36 percent of the total. See the full summary for information on other industries and the top employers posting jobs during the quarter.
Missouri Demographic Census Profile
The U.S. Census Bureau provides a state-by-state look at the demographic changes the 2020 Census results reveal. The profile shows key population demographics, including population, housing, race and ethnicity for Missouri and its counties.
Missouri Exports Rise in 2021
Missouri exports increased by more than 23 percent from 2020 to 2021. Over half of all Missouri’s export income came from exports to three countries. Canada purchased $5.2 billion in goods, followed by Mexico ($3.3 billion), and China ($698 million). Click on the link to see more about Missouri exports.
2021 Average Cost of Living
Missouri had the 7th lowest cost of living in the United States in 2021. 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.
Missouri 2020 Personal and Per Capita Income
Per capita income for states was recently revised by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Per capita income in Missouri was $51,697 in 2020, a 5.6 percent increase from 2019 while the per capita income for the U.S. was $59,510. Missouri’s per capita income growth generally tracks with the national average. The 2020 annual growth rate of 5.6 percent is 0.6 percentage points lower than that of the national average.
Federal Reserve Beige Book for January 2022
The Federal Reserve released the January summary of current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. Reported eight times a year and commonly known as the Beige Book, each Federal Reserve Bank gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its District through reports from Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources. Missouri includes the Federal Reserve Banks of both St. Louis and Kansas City. Both reports share information about economic growth, employment and wages, and key industries in the state.
Southeast Region Profile
The Southeast Region is comprised of 13 counties in the southeast portion of Missouri. The region is home to several cities including Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Caruthersville, and Park Hills. The workforce in this region has more than 155,400 employees, making up five percent of Missouri's employment.
Keep Track of New Census Data Releases
The U.S. Census Bureau posted anticipated release dates for each regular and recurring statistical product scheduled for release in 2022. These products are listed in the Census Bureau’s online product calendar, which is updated as needed throughout the year. Bookmark this link to keep track of the latest data releases.
Missouri County Personal and Per Capita Income
Missouri had a per capita income of $51,697 in 2020. Six Missouri counties had higher per capita income in 2020 than the state: St. Louis, Platte, St. Charles, Holt, Atchison, and Cole. Per capita income levels for Missouri tend to be highest around larger metro areas such as St. Louis and Kansas City.