Which metro areas in Missouri are adding jobs fastest?
Columbia, MO (+18.1%), Joplin, MO-KS (+8.6%) and Springfield, MO (+7.0%) added private-sector jobs fastest among Missouri metro areas between 2018 and 2023.
Data as of 2023 · updated
All 8 ranked Missouri metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2018–23 | Jobs added | Private jobs 2023 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia, MO | +18.1% | +14,070 | 91,660 | 219,062 |
| 2 | Joplin, MO-KS | +8.6% | +6,141 | 77,827 | 208,796 |
| 3 | Springfield, MO | +7.0% | +13,288 | 203,992 | 500,694 |
| 4 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +5.5% | +2,184 | 41,675 | 99,215 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO-KS | +5.0% | +48,153 | 1,016,941 | 2,270,682 |
| 6 | Jefferson City, MO | +3.0% | +1,648 | 55,768 | 152,712 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO-IL | +0.7% | +9,406 | 1,263,674 | 2,814,421 |
| 8 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | +0.2% | +81 | 49,125 | 119,170 |
How this is ranked
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Missouri has the fastest job growth?
Columbia, MO: +18.1%, ahead of Joplin, MO-KS (+8.6%) and Springfield, MO (+7.0%), of 8 Missouri metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.