Trendsights Newsletter

Cost of Living Second Quarter 2022
Missouri had the 7th lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter 2022. The city with the lowest cost of living in Missouri for the quarter was Joplin with an index at 80.7. In general, the most expensive areas to live were Hawaii, Alaska, and states in the northeast and on the west coast. The least expensive were in the middle and southern parts of the U.S. MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of the C2ER Cost of Living Index for participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state.
Credentials Offer Manufacturing Workers Alternative Education Pathway
Earning a manufacturing credential may increase earnings and prospects of getting work in manufacturing even without a college degree, according to new U.S. Census Bureau research. Industry credentials are formal documentations by an industry organization of a participant’s skill attainment.
Southwest Real-Time Labor Market Information
Employers in the Southwest Region posted 5,140 job ads from April through June 2022, with 74 percent for full-time positions. Health Care and Social Assistance was the industry with the largest number of job postings, making up 24 percent of the total. By occupation, the largest number of postings were for Retail Salespersons, Registered Nurses, and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.
U.S. Census Bureau Missouri Profile
New U.S. Census Bureau profiles for states provide a quick look at statistics about the people, income, housing, family structure, education, health, and economy for each state. This tool with both graphs and maps can help users understand the composition and characteristics of Missouri’s more than 6.1 million people and thousands of businesses.
Missouri County Business Application Statistics
Annual new business application statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau are now available at the county level for 2021. This data is based on federal EIN applications and provides an estimate of business growth in an area. In Missouri, St. Louis County had the most new applications in 2021 with 19,712, followed by Jackson (13,209), St. Louis City (7,781), St. Charles (4,545), and Greene (3,714) counties.
Regional Real-Time Job Summaries
Missouri employers posted 285,500 job ads from April through June, with 80 percent for full-time positions. Health Care and Social Assistance was the industry with the largest number of job postings, making up 25 percent of the total. St. Louis was the city with the largest number of job postings. These job postings summaries for the state and each region include the top job posting employers, industries, and occupations for the most recent quarter.
July Online Job Postings
There were more than 99,000 new job postings in Missouri in July 2022, according to data from Lightcast™. The St. Louis area had the largest number of postings of any region in the month with more than 43,000. See the monthly new online job postings by industry and occupation for Missouri and the 10 Workforce Development Areas in this interactive dashboard.
Median Age of Population is Increasing
A new visualization from the U.S. Census Bureau shows broad variations in age structure by state and county. Missouri counties with the highest median age in 2021 were Hickory County with a median age of 54.7 years, followed by Stone (54.5), Benton (54.0), Camden (52.8), and Ozark (51.4). Users can interact with the dashboard to see the age distributions in counties across the state.
2020-2030 Occupational Projections
New statewide occupational projections show Missouri is projected to have more than 352,000 total job openings each year through 2030. Of the top 10 occupations with the most total openings, three are in the Food Preparation and Serving-related major occupation group. Occupational projections for both Missouri and its regions provide an outlook for job growth in the future.
Back to School Fun Facts
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 $37 billion on back-to-school shopping and $74 billion on college purchases in 2022. From August 5-7, 2022, Missouri hosts a sales tax holiday to help families with certain back-to-school purchases.
2020-2030 Industry Projections
New 2020 to 2030 industry projections for Missouri project employment in the state to grow by 7.3 percent during the decade. Some high growth industries are those recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic during the early years of the decade, while others continue to reflect Missouri’s growing and changing economy. The Ozark region is projected to grow the fastest, at 11.7 percent, while the Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest regions are projected to grow at a rate of 3.0 percent or less. See the industries with the largest growth, fastest growth, and greatest projected decline in the Excel files for the state and each region.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Declines in 2nd Quarter (Advance Estimate)
Real gross domestic product (GDP) for the U.S. decreased at an annual rate of 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2022, according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 1.6 percent. The decrease in real GDP reflected decreases in private inventory investment, residential fixed investment, federal government spending, state and local government spending, and nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by increases in exports and personal consumption expenditures (PCE). This early look at the economy for the 2nd quarter is based on limited data and the “second” estimate, with more complete data, will be released on August 25, 2022.
How-To: Census Survey Explore
The U.S. Census Bureau provides a variety of resources to help navigate the Bureau’s website and find the data you need. One tool is the Census Survey Explorer, which can be used to search for data about a specific topic or area. This how-to video will use practical real-life examples to teach you how to search for data with the Census Survey Explorer and offer tips for how to use the tool's guidance pages.
Missouri 2021 County Average Wages
Missouri 2021 County Average Wages
St. Louis City had the highest average annual wage across all private industries in 2021 at $70,536 compared to the state average of $57,329. County average wage figures are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), a cooperative program between the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Click on the link above to view county average wages for both privately-owned industries and for all industries combined.
Missouri Median Income vs Gas Prices
As the cost of energy rises, this new report from the Missouri Data Center reviews median household income in Missouri compared to gas prices. Data about Missouri income comes from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey via the Missouri Census Data Center, and energy costs data are based off the Consumer Price Index from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. County-level gas prices have been taken from the AAA Missouri Gas Prices site, which updates each day.
Regional Economic Index Shows Signs of Slower Growth
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for June was 49.5, decreasing by 7.3 points from May, and marking the first since July 2020 that Missouri's index has been below the growth benchmark of 50. 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 Region index also declined during June, falling to 58.6 from 60.0 in May.
Census 2020 Tool - Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States
Using 2020 Census data, the U.S. Census Bureau created a diversity index for the nation, states, and each county. The diversity index measures the probability that two people chosen at random will be from different race and ethnicity groups. In Missouri, St. Louis City has the highest index at 62.7, followed by Jackson, St. Louis, Pulaski, and Pemiscot counties.
Online Job Postings Dashboard - June 2022
There were more than 96,000 new job postings in Missouri in June 2022, according to data from Lightcast™. The St. Louis area had the largest number of postings of any region in the month with more than 41,000. See the monthly new online job postings by industry and occupation for Missouri and the 10 Workforce Development Areas in this interactive dashboard.
Missouri Personal Income, 1st Quarter 2022
Personal income in Missouri increased by 5.0 percent in the first quarter of 2022, according to recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The average percent change among states was 4.8 percent, ranging from 8.5 percent in South Dakota to 1.3 percent in Hawaii.
Patriotic Places in Missouri
As we celebrate Independence Day, two Missouri cities lead the way as the most populous "patriotic" cities. Independence, MO is the largest city of its name in the U.S., with 122,088 residents, and Liberty, MO also holds the honor, with 30,377 residents.
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.