According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the St. Louis metro area ranks third in the country for job growth in August 2024, tied with Indianapolis.
Key Takeaways
- Metro job rate grew 2.6% over last year
- New data moves St. Louis up from July’s mid-year report, which ranked St. Louis #7 nationally
- Rate of job growth has St. Louis metro in the top 10 for first time since 1990
- GSL – New data shows “that the way we are working to grow our economy – inclusively, collaboratively, and speaking with a unified voice as one metro – is the right path, the path upon which we must continue.”
ST. LOUIS – (Greater St. Louis INC) New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the St. Louis metro now ranks number three in the country for our rate of job growth, tied with the Indianapolis metro area. Only Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, Utah, had higher rates of growth from August 2023 to August 2024.
According to the just-released BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary for August 2024:
Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 24 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more and was essentially unchanged in 27 areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (+3.7 percent), and Salt Lake City, UT (+2.7 percent), followed by Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN, and St. Louis, MO-IL (+2.6 percent each).
“This is the second straight federal data report showing St. Louis as one of the fastest-growing metros in the country for jobs,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “We have much more work to do moving forward, but this continued momentum shows the rest of the country that what we are building here is real and that the way we are working to grow our economy – inclusively, collaboratively, and speaking with a unified voice as one metro – is the right path, the path upon which we must continue.”
This new BLS report comes on the heels of several other recent positive announcements for the metro:
- 16th largest GDP. 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.
- 1st in Growth of foreign-born population among 30 largest U.S. metros. Recent census data show St. Louis added over 30,000 foreign-born residents in the past year, a 23.2% rate of growth that is higher than every other large metro in the country.
- $1 billion in research at WashU. WashU announced that, for the first time, external research funding has $1 billion for first time. This external funding supports WashU investigators tackling big challenges from Alzheimer’s disease to air pollution to childhood depression and drives investment in our economy, sparking job growth, new construction, and local spending.
Additionally, several companies have recently made major job announcements and investments, including Boeing in North St. Louis County, AFG in Warren County, GM in Wentzville, James Hardie in Jefferson County, ICL in St. Louis City, Wieland in Madison County, and several others.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth rate, St. Louis metro, August 2024, BLS report, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, employment, unemployment
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