Work Force Characteristics

The St. Louis region's work force has several major virtues:

• It’s well-educated. The American Community Survey 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.