Report: Region that includes Springfield accounted for 9.1% of state's employment in 2024

The seven-county Ozark Region that includes Springfield accounted for 9.1% of the Show Me State's employment in 2024, according to newly released data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

Average monthly employment of 274,460 in the Ozark Region compared with over 3 million statewide, meaning roughly 1 in 11 jobs statewide are from the seven-county area. The Missouri economic and workforce report was released on Sept. 19 by MERIC, the workforce research office of the state Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development. 

The Ozark Region – comprising Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, Stone, Taney and Webster counties – had an average unemployment rate in 2024 of 3.6%, which compares with 3.7% in Missouri and 4% nationally. The Ozark Region added 2,957 jobs in 2024, a 1.2% increase, with a 10.6% overall increase reported 2020-24.

Among data in the report is the percentage of people who are at least 25 years old in the Ozark Region and have an associate degree or higher. That figure was nearly 38% for the region, lower than the 40.2% reported statewide and 43.8% in the United States as a whole.

In its analysis of the data, the Springfield Business Development Corp., the economic development arm of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said an opportunity exists in the report's analysis of jobs classified as “now,” “next” and “later.” Those definitions factor in the training, education and experience requirements for various occupations to project 2022-32 labor demand, with “now” jobs including cashiers and retail salespeople, “next” jobs including heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers and nursing assistants, and “later” jobs identified as general and operations managers, registered nurses and others.

"The opportunity: By investing in training and career pathways, small businesses and workforce partners can help workers advance from now jobs to later careers – strengthening our economy along the way," SBDC officials said.