Workforce Research

Career and Occupations

Career Research

Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program is a Federal-State cooperative effort that produces employment and wage estimates for about 800 different occupations. In Missouri, the program is operated by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development/Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Projections

Employment projections give an overview of where the Missouri economy may be headed based on past and present trends.

Projected Growth and Recovery
The 2020 to 2030 projections, funded by the Program Year 2021 WIGS grant and published in July 2022,
have unique considerations due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief details
those considerations.

ACT Workeys®

ACT WorkKeys^® assessments measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace, and help measure the workplace skills that can affect job performance. Scores are provided for three different categories: Applied Math, Workplace Documents, and Graphic Literacy. Each assessment offers varying levels of difficulty.

Career Grades Report

Find out which jobs have the best pay, most openings and fastest growth by knowing their grade.

Career Pathways

Career pathways highlight different jobs in sectors, from entry-level to higher skill, that are in demand

Online Job Postings

View aggregated job postings data to show trends over time

Skills Transfer

While some occupations were particularly impacted by the COVID pandemic, the valuable skills developed from those occupations may transfer to other job opportunities.

Skills Transfer - Food Service - PDF

Skills Transfer - Sales - PDF

Skills Transfer – Office Administration and Support - PDF

Labor Supply and Demand

Real-Time Job Summaries

Real-Time Labor Market Summaries covering the past 3 months.

Labor Supply and Demand

Compare which jobs are in high demand yet have few job seekers chasing those opportunities in 2021.

Regional Labor Supply and Demand

The largest Labor gaps in Missouri existed in Health Care, Science & Technology, Construction, Installation, Maintenance & Repair (CIMR), and Production Jobs.

Jobs and Education

Missouri Jobs by Education and Skill Level

Missouri has a wide range of occupations that require various levels of education and skill. This report will highlight the employment, openings, and wages of occupations based on education and skill level.

Education Pays

The link between education and earnings is clear. At each increased level of educational attainment, there is a significant increase in average wage.

Research for Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented shock to the economy, impacting the workforce and companies across sectors. This page contains new and relevant research created to assist with economic recovery, along with links to quickly navigate to other relevant resources.