Image
Key Takeaways
- St. Louis is now a top 10 metro for job growth for first time since 1990
- Metro added 31,000 workers over the last year
- Preliminary data show region’s employment increasing to nearly 1.5 million jobs
- Madison County, Illinois, saw metro’s highest growth numbers
- GSL -- “This news shows the rest of the country that the momentum building in St. Louis is real”
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis metro’s economic momentum continues to build, as new data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics tells a success story about St. Louis’ workforce — it’s growing significantly, rising to nearly 1.5 million.
With the addition of 31,000 workers over the past year, St. Louis landed among the country’s top 10 regions for job growth, a spot it hasn’t seen since 1990, according to St. Louis Public Radio. The St. Louis metro’s rate of employment growth came in above Indianapolis, Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Chicago, and most other metro areas.
“Driving job creation is at very heart of the STL 2030 Jobs Plan and the work we do to shape inclusive economic growth,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “This news shows the rest of the country that the momentum building in St. Louis is real and demonstrates the positive impact of working collaboratively and speaking with a unified voice in support of inclusive economic growth.”
The BLS report shows St. Louis’ rate of job growth surpassing the national rate by a significant margin. The leisure and hospitality industry leads the charge with the addition of 12,000 employees, and the region’s tech sector is seeing positive momentum as well.
Throughout the metro, Madison County in the Metro East saw the highest growth numbers, adding nearly 4,000 people to the workforce.
The report on St. Louis’ growing employment comes on the heels of several recent investment announcements, including a $400 million expansion by O’Fallon, Missouri-based silicon wafer manufacturer MEMC and its parent company GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. that will create 500 construction jobs and an additional 130 high-paid permanent jobs to St. Charles County.
Additionally, a recent report analyzing federal data found that St. Louis’ real gross domestic product last year ranked 16th among the 30 largest U.S. metros, even though St. Louis is ranked 23rd in population.
“This type of growth is how we will move the metro forward and win this decade,” added Hall.
Media Contact: Tony Wyche | 314-398-9991 | Tony@GreaterSTLInc.com