The Missouri Department of Economic Development’s November job report contained positive news about the St. Joseph economy. St. Joseph’s civilian labor force was up 1.6 percent from November 2017. That is a higher increase than all other Missouri cities.
And once again, St. Joseph is proud to be Number 3 in the state. St. Joseph has long been the third largest exporter in the state, behind St. Louis and Kansas City, and now has earned the number three ranking in employment growth and wages.
St. Joseph’s average hourly wage is $22.20, which only falls behind St. Louis and Kansas City. St. Joseph’s weekly earnings are $805.86, which equates about $42,000 a year. Average wages for other Missouri cities after St. Joseph are: Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Jefferson City, Columbia and Joplin.
Average Hourly Earnings
St. Louis MSA $27.76
Kansas City MSA (Missouri Part) $25.75
St. Joseph MSA $22.20
Cape Girardeau $21.93
Springfield $21.76
Jefferson City $21.25
Columbia $20.86
Joplin $19.74
“St. Joseph has added hundreds of jobs in the past couple of years with higher wages, which is reflected in this report,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “Besides attracting new business, the Chamber also works with existing companies in St. Joseph to grow their number of employees and increase their wages.”
One of the successes of 2018 was the addition of 50 new jobs (over a five-year period) with an average salary of $50,000 at Yellow Frog Graphics. The company is building a new $3.9 million facility in Mitchell Woods Business Park. Yellow Frog Graphics is the region’s premier provider of custom vehicle graphics and wraps.
“In St. Joseph, we often hear comments about the lack of good-paying jobs, but we’re actually outpacing other Missouri communities of comparative size in job growth and wages,” Lilly said.
St. Joseph’s unemployment rate in the November report was 2.7 percent, which is lower than the U.S. rate (3.7 percent), the Missouri rate (3.1 percent) and several other Missouri communities.
“While our unemployment is low, there are a large number of high-paying jobs available for those willing to be trained,” Lilly said. “The Chamber continues to work with local education institutions and business to bring additional skills training and certifications to enhance our workforce and build on the growing economy.”
To read the report, see this site here.
