State of the St. Louis Workforce
Now in its 15th year, the 2023 State of the St. Louis Workforce report and event examined the overall view of the St. Louis metro workforce, with a spotlight on the impact of advanced manufacturing in our region.
Our Workforce, Our Mission
Understanding the Greater St. Louis region's workforce is the first step in developing talent and building successful partnerships. Each year, the State of the St. Louis Workforce report and event explore trends and needs impacting regional employers and the labor market.
To set our students up for success, we need to teach them relevant skills for in-demand fields. To teach them those skills, we need to understand the needs of the workforce. We use our research to shape our programs so that our graduates are equipped to excel in the ever-evolving job market.
Each year, we invest time and resources into taking an in-depth look at the job market around us. We then present our findings to the community at our annual State of the St. Louis Workforce event.
Questions? Please send them to: SOSLW@stlcc.edu.
Download the 2023 Report
The 2023 State of the St. Louis Workforce report focuses on the comprehensive overview
of the regional economic and workforce trends. It adds a highlight on an individual
sector each year to track trends in a specific industry that is key to the region,
and therefore key to St. Louis Community College’s education and training efforts.
This report includes a spotlight on advanced manufacturing, a pillar of our region
and gateway to future economic growth and jobs. The St. Louis area holds 42% of Missouri’s
jobs in advanced manufacturing.
Download the report release presentation slides
See all State of the St. Louis Workforce reports
Download the 2022 Report
For the first time in three years, we can examine the St. Louis workforce beyond the
immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual State of the St. Louis Workforce
report supplies our region with a clearer picture of our primary asset: our workers.
The report also highlights three key topics that impact St. Louis now and that will
continue to influence our economy for the foreseeable future: geospatial, startups,
and immigration. For all the attention they receive in the media, they remain buzzwords
and a mystery for most of us.
Download the report release presentation slides
See all State of the St. Louis Workforce reports
Download the 2021 Report
This report explores the trends and challenges impacting our region’s employers and
workforce and examines “Equitable Recovery, Equitable Opportunity, Equitable Growth”
with a focus on aspects of the recently released STL 2030 Jobs Plan, including the definition of “quality jobs,” building the pipeline to equitable opportunity,
the workforce of the future and the role employers, institutions and individuals can
play in helping our region become a talent engine and magnet for workers living in
St. Louis.
Download the report release presentation slides
See all State of the St. Louis Workforce reports
Download the 2020 Report
Prior to COVID-19, the 2020 report questioned if our region had achieved a full-employment
economy and discussed who had been left behind. It explores the shorter-term impacts
of COVID-19 on our region's workforce and the implications of what lies ahead.
Watch a replay of the 2020 State of the St. Louis Workforce virtual event
See all State of the St. Louis Workforce reports
Download the 2019 Report
In the 2019 report, employers reported a shortage of skilled applicants, while also
responding that the desire to hire new full-time employees had wained compared to
the previous year. Employers continue to balance a desire for experience and education
with the need to maintain a pipeline of candidates in a low unemployment economy.
In addition, you'll discover perspectives from three local organizations as they discuss
who is being left behind in our full-employment economy, why, and what is being done
to eliminate those gaps.
See all State of St. Louis Workforce reports