Show-Me State Times

New federal data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the St. Louis metropolitan area has climbed to third place nationally in job growth, sharing this position with Indianapolis. The only cities surpassing St. Louis in job growth from August 2023 to August 2024 are Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

The BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary for August 2024 reports a 2.6% increase in nonfarm employment over the year for both St. Louis, MO-IL, and Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN. This positions St. Louis among the top ten metros for job growth for the first time since 1990.

Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., remarked on this development: “This is the second straight federal data report showing St. Louis as one of the fastest-growing metros in the country for jobs.” He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to grow the economy inclusively and collaboratively.

In addition to job growth, recent reports highlight other positive trends for St. Louis:

- A report analyzing federal data placed St. Louis' real gross domestic product as 16th among the largest U.S. metros.

- Census data revealed that St. Louis experienced a significant increase in its foreign-born population, adding over 30,000 residents at a rate of 23.2%, which is higher than any other large metro.

- Washington University (WashU) announced reaching $1 billion in external research funding for projects addressing major challenges such as Alzheimer's disease and air pollution.

Several companies have also made significant investments in the region recently, including Boeing in North St. Louis County and GM in Wentzville.