Forbes: Jack Henry among best US employers

Forbes ranked Jack Henry & Associates Inc. (Nasdaq: JKHY) on its list of the best U.S. employers with at least 5,000 workers.

The Monett-based financial industry software firm placed 12th on the list released this week.

Jack Henry was the highest-ranking firm in Missouri and the only company based in the southwest portion of the state. The other Missouri companies included are in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas. Edward Jones and Emerson Electric were the next best in Missouri, at No. 120 and 123, respectively.

The rankings were based on surveys of 30,000 working Americans who were asked to rate their employer on how likely they’d be to recommend it to others. They also were asked to nominate companies in industries outside their own.

Jack Henry employs more than 6,300 people in about 20 states, according to a news release. The company recently announced its fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 21 percent to $72.4 million.

Jack Henry was flanked on the Forbes list by San Antonio, Texas-based United Services Automobile Association and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. Michelin Group topped the list, followed by Trader Joe’s and Google.

Forbes also released a list of the top midsize companies — those with 1,000 to 5,000 employees — but no southwest Missouri business made the cut. Penguin Random House, New Balance and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield led the midsize employers list.