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 highlights significant workforce growth, rising to nearly 1.5 million jobs.
With the addition of 31,000 workers over the past year, St. Louis has landed among the country’s top 10 regions for job growth, a position it hasn’t seen since 1990, according to St. Louis Public Radio. The St. Louis metro’s rate of employment growth surpassed that of 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 indicates that St. Louis’ rate of job growth surpasses the national rate by a significant margin. The leisure and hospitality industry leads this trend with an addition of 12,000 employees, while the region’s tech sector also sees positive momentum.
Throughout the metro area, Madison County in Metro East recorded the highest growth numbers by adding nearly 4,000 people to its workforce.
The report on St. Louis’ growing employment follows several recent investment announcements including a $400 million expansion by O’Fallon-based silicon wafer manufacturer MEMC and its parent company GlobalWafers Co., Ltd., which will create 500 construction jobs and an additional 130 high-paid permanent jobs in St. Charles County.
Additionally, a recent analysis found that St. Louis’ real gross domestic product last year ranked 16th among the 30 largest U.S. metros despite being 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
