Trendsights Newsletter

Missouri Fortune 500 Companies
Fortune Magazine recently released its 2020 Fortune 500 rankings. Ten Missouri-based companies were included in this year’s Fortune 500 list. Centene was the highest ranked Missouri company, up to 24 from 42 last year, with revenues of $111.1 billion.
Missouri Ranks 3rd for Manufacturing Employees
Missouri employed 275,300 employees in manufacturing in August 2021, ranking third among bordering states behind Illinois (551,700) and Tennessee (350,800). According to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics program, Missouri manufacturing employment was up by 4,500 jobs compared to July 2021, and up by more than 9,000 jobs compared to last year. Click on the link above to see a map of how Missouri compares to other states.
Celebrate Manufacturing Week with the U.S. Census Bureau
Manufacturing Week is a celebration by the U.S. Census Bureau that expands upon the traditional Manufacturing Day launched by the Manufacturing Institute in 2011 on the first Friday in October. The Census Bureau is celebrating the 10th anniversary by providing a week’s worth of rich content and statistics that inform businesses and policymakers. The Manufacturing Week home page has valuable manufacturing statistics, data products, and visualizations to paint a picture of the state of this vital economic sector.
Missouri Manufacturing Industries
Manufacturing is a major component of Missouri’s $321.7 billion economy, representing 11.8 percent ($37.97 billion) of the 2020 total Gross State Product (GSP). Manufacturing also makes up 11.7 percent of the state’s private sector employment with 266,439 jobs across 6,864 establishments. Click on the above link to learn more about Missouri' Manufacturing Industry.
Missouri Economic Diversity
A diversified economy is one with many industries that is more balanced and can better manage fluctuations in the business cycle. Using an index of the distribution of state gross domestic product across industries, Missouri ranked fourth in the index for economic diversity in 2020, retaining the same rank as in 2019.
Missouri Small Business Profile 2021
A diversified economy is one with many industries that is more balanced and can better manage fluctuations in the business cycle. Using an index of the distribution of state gross domestic product across industries, Missouri ranked fourth in the index for economic diversity in 2020, retaining the same rank as in 2019.
BLS Occupational Outlook: Financial Examiners
Most Financial Examiners work for the finance and insurance industry and federal and state government, examining and ensuring compliance with laws that govern institutions handling monetary transactions. To work in the field, one typically needs a bachelor’s degree that includes some coursework in accounting. In Missouri, Financial Examiners had an average wage of $86,290 in 2020. Click on the above link to learn more about Financial Examiners and their job outlook.
Career Pathways: Financial and Professional Services
Careers in Financial and Professional Services frequently involve interactions with the public, making skills in customer service and acting as a professional company representative important for this career pathway. Important industry-wide technical skills for a career in this field include familiarity with relevant codes and regulations, as well as knowledge of business operations and financial reporting. Missouri has a strong presence in the Financial and Professional Services industry, being home to several Fortune 1000 companies. Career opportunities in Legal Services, Business Operations, Sales and Marketing, and Financial and Insurance Services are possible pathways in this field.
August Online Job Postings Now Available
August job postings data show Registered Nurses and Retail Salespersons were the occupations with the most new job postings in Missouri. The Top Job Postings interactive dashboard uses data from Burning Glass Technologies for new job postings trends and occupations with the most postings from month-to-month for Missouri and the Workforce Development Areas.
Business Index Continues to Remain High
For more than a year, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, remained at or above an expansionary level. Economists consider the index, which measures such factors as new orders, production, supplier delivery times, backlogs, inventories, prices, employment, import orders and exports, a key economic indicator. Typically, a score greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy while a score below 50 forecasts a sluggish economy. Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for August was 75.2, increasing 3.9 points from July and in expansion territory, according to the monthly index.
Missouri 2020 Interactive Census Profile
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new state profiles looking at the demographic changes the 2020 Census results reveal. Dashboards in this profile show how Missouri's state and county population by age and diversity, as well as housing units, has changed in the last decade.
Second Quarter Cost of Living 2021
Missouri had the 8th lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter 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. For the past 18 quarters, Missouri has been in the top 10 for lowest cost of living in the nation. Cities across the nation participate in the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER) survey on a volunteer basis. Price information in the survey is governed by C2ER collection guidelines.
Career Pathways: Health Science
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. The pathways use industry-recognized credentials and are examples of how different levels of training or education can help provide opportunities for career advancement. The health care industry provides a variety of work opportunities for every interest. From jobs that directly care for patients to careers that keep the whole system going, important jobs are waiting to be filled in Patient Care, Diagnostic/Therapeutic roles, and Business Operation.
Missouri Personal and Per Capita Income 2020
Per capita income in Missouri was $51,177 in 2020, a 5.2 percent increase from 2019. The District of Columbia again led the nation with the highest per capita income at $87,064, followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The per capita income for the U.S. was $59,729. Missouri's total personal income increased by 5.4 percent in 2020 and the nation's personal income increased by 6.1 percent. These increases were largely due to financial supports provided to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Order Career Grade Posters
The Missouri Career Grades poster provides a quick look at occupations in the state with the top outlook through 2028. This easy reference can be used to help spark conversations about career opportunities with 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.
Understanding Career Grades
With nearly 800 occupations to consider, choosing a career can be challenging. Missouri Career Grades is a tool to help compare the future outlook of occupations in Missouri. To make the comparisons easier, letter grades, called Career Grades, are assigned to various occupations within the state based on each occupation’s outlook over the next decade. Occupations in the Grade A category have the best outlook while Grade F occupations have the worst outlook. Grades are based on a combination of projected total job openings, projected percent growth, and the average wage of an occupation.
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.
Job Postings and Top Skills - Agribusiness
The Transportation and Logistics industry had more than 25,000 job postings in 2020 for top demand jobs. The top occupation was Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver, making up 42 percent of total Missouri job postings for the time period. Skills such as Customer Service, Communication, Scheduling, Forklift Operation, and Logistics are in demand by employers in this industry.
Business Formation Statistics by State
The Business Formation Statistics (BFS) are an experimental data product of the U.S. Census Bureau. BFS provides timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations nationally and across the states. In Missouri, this data shows business applications totaled 7,269 in June 2021, up 21 percent from a year ago. This data was developed in research collaboration with economists affiliated with Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, University of Maryland, and University of Notre Dame.
Middle Skills Jobs Report
Middle-skill occupations are an essential part of Missouri’s workforce, accounting for four out of every 10 jobs. Broadly defined as occupations that require some training after high school but less than a bachelor’s degree, middle-skill jobs can offer good pay or career pathways with industry-recognized training and credentials that can be as short as a few months. Construction; Healthcare; Installation, Maintenance and Repair; and Production are highlighted as particular areas of opportunity for middle-skill jobs.
Missouri Gross State Product 2020
The broadest measure of economic activity is the gross domestic product (GDP). Gross Domestic Product by State (GSP) measures the value-added from industries in that state. According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Missouri ranked 22nd nationally in GSP at $277.4 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars in 2020, a 3.6 percent decrease from 2019. Nationally, inflation-adjusted GDP decreased 3.5 percent over the same period. Declines in both state and national economic activity during 2020 are a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missouri Science and Engineering State Profile
The National Science Foundation provides an interactive website to access state-level data and rankings on a variety of science and engineering metrics. Use this tool to compare states in areas such as the number of doctorates earned in science and engineering fields, federal research and development obligations, patents, and small business innovation research awards.
Career Pathways: Transportation and Logistics
Career Pathways are groups of occupations within a career field. Occupations within a pathway share common skills, knowledge, and interests. Transportation and Logistics industry pathways of Procurement and Sales, Transportation, and Warehousing and Distribution all offer career opportunities to start in the field and grow with additional training and experience.
Job Postings and Top Skills for Transportation and Logistics
The Transportation and Logistics industry had more than 25,000 job postings in 2020 for top demand jobs. The top occupation was Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver, making up 42 percent of total Missouri job postings for the time period. Skills such as Customer Service, Communication, Scheduling, Forklift Operation, and Logistics are in demand by employers in this industry.