Work Force Characteristics

Skilled, well-educated, diverse and hard working. There’s no better way to describe the Greater St. Louis work force.

Drawing from 16 counties in Illinois and Missouri, St. Louis businesses have access to a rich pool of talented employees. A Council on Competitiveness Regional Survey in 2005 found that the availability of workers with the skills businesses require is one of the St. Louis region’s strengths. With almost 190,000 students enrolled in local colleges and universities, it’s no wonder.

The work force — 1.5 million strong — has several major virtues:

• It’s well-educated. The American Community Survey 2005 found that the percentages of residents with bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees each surpassed the national averages. The proportion of scientists and engineers is more than twice the U.S. average. The proportion of professional managers is significantly higher too.
• It’s highly and broadly skilled. A study by the Census of Manufacturers showed that the productivity level of St. Louis-area manufacturing workers is 18.7 percent higher than the U.S. average. The work force is distributed across industry sectors almost exactly in the same proportions as the nation’s work force as a whole, and no one industry employs more than 18 percent of the work force.
• It’s hard-working. The Midwestern work ethic is real. Companies in the area apply that dedication and commitment as a competitive advantage every single day.
• It’s available and affordable. We have a growing and affordable work force with wage and unemployment rates that track the U.S. average. A Council on Competitiveness Regional Survey in 2005 found that the availability of workers with the skills that businesses require was considered a strong regional asset.

Below the labor force is broken down by the 16 counties in the St. Louis region.