Timing
You may delay, but time will not.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the geographical area covered in this report?
The bi-state St. Louis MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is made up of a total of 16 counties, consisting of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis City, St. Louis, Warren and Washington on the Missouri side and Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Claire on the Illinois side.
2. What is the distribution of the labor force in this region by age group?
Labor Force by Age Group - St. Louis MSA 2007
| Age Group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 45 to 54 years | 25% |
| 35 to 44 years | 23% |
| 25 to 29 years | 10% |
| 30 to 24 years | 10% |
| 55 to 59 years | 9% |
| 22 to 24 years | 6% |
| 16 to 19 years | 6% |
| 20 and 21 years | 4% |
| 60 and 61 years | 3% |
| 62 to 64 years | 3% |
| 65 to 59 years | 2% |
| 70 to 74 years | 1% |
| 75 years and over | 1% |
Source: American Community Survey
3. What are the top employing industries in this region?
| NAICS | Industry | Annual Average |
Percent of Total Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61-62 | Educational services, and health care and social assistance | 291,626 | 21.30% |
| 44-45 | Retail trade | 163,773 | 11.40% |
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 157,040 | 11.40% |
| 71-72 | Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services | 134,532 | 9.80% |
| 54 | Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services | 132,091 | 9.60% |
| 52-53 | Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing | 107,920 | 7.90% |
| 23 | Construction | 93,619 | 6.80% |
| 48-49 | Transportation and warehousing, and utilities | 78,818 | 5.70% |
| 81 | Other services, except public administration | 69,451 | 5.10% |
| 92 | Public administration | 53,220 | 3.90% |
| 42 | Wholesale trade | 45,320 | 3.30% |
| 51 | Information | 33,752 | 2.50% |
| 11 | Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining | 10,677 | 0.80% |
Source: MERIC, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. What are the short term employment projections by industry sector for this region?
| NAICS Code |
Title | 2008 Estimated Employment |
2010 Projected Employment |
Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 515000 | Broadcasting (except Internet) | 2,550 | 2,640 | 3.77% |
| 446000 | Health and Personal Care Stores | 7,650 | 7,900 | 3.32% |
| 611000 | Educational Services | 86,820 | 89,570 | 3.17% |
| 623000 | Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | 22,590 | 23,210 | 2.72% |
| 452000 | General Merchandise Stores | 20,590 | 21,150 | 2.70% |
| 621000 | Ambulatory Health Care Services | 40,790 | 41,730 | 2.32% |
| 624000 | Social Assistance | 17,770 | 18,180 | 2.31% |
| 492000 | Couriers and Messengers | 5,160 | 5,260 | 1.96% |
| 999200 | State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals | 9,090 | 9,250 | 1.77% |
| 523000 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | 7,760 | 7,880 | 1.57% |
Source: MERIC Short-term Occupational Projections, MERIC Occupational Employment and Wage Survey and U.S. Department of Labor
Employers
1. What is the distribution of employers in this survey by size?
| Employer Size | Percent |
|---|---|
| Self Employed | 3% |
| Less than 100 | 87% |
| Greater than 100 but less than 500 | 7% |
| 500 or greater | 4% |
Source: MERIC
2. How do employers rate their current and future business performance, in terms of sales and revenue?
3. In the past 12 months, has the employer's access to credit for business operations changed?
55% of the respondents reported that access to credit for business operations had stayed the same, 19% indicated that credit markets had tightened, while 23% were unsure or declined to answer the question. Only 4% of respondents reported that access to credit had increased. Some companies declared no shortage of cash flow due to conservative internal fund management or being self funded.
4. In the past 12 months, has the cost of benefits changed for the employer?
58% of the employers stated that the cost of benefits had increased, 32% said they had decreased and about 10% had no comments.
5. What are the barriers employers currently face to hiring more workers?
6. What are the top employing occupations for the top five fastest growing industries?
Some of the top occupations within the fastest growing industries (such as Broadcasting, Health and Personal Care Stores, Educational Services, Nursing and Residential Care Facilities and General Merchandise) are listed as the following:
- Broadcast Technicians
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Radio and Television Announcers
- Audio and Video Equipment Technicians
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Pharmacists
- Opticians, Dispensing
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education
- Teachers and Instructors
- Teacher Assistants
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education
- Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Personal and Home Care Aides
- General and Operations Managers
- Advertising and Promotions Managers
- Sales Managers
- Administrative Services Managers
- Human Resources Managers
7. As an alternative to layoffs, what other methods did employers utilize to deal with the changes in the economy?
| Options | Percent |
|---|---|
| Reducing hours of work for existing employees | 39.9% |
| Freezing pay | 35.2% |
| Reducing pay | 9.0% |
| Suspending payments to 401k and other employee benefits | 10.6% |
| Other measures | 21.4% |
Source: MERIC
8. What is the employment outlook for the immediate future?
9. In the next 12 months, what practices will employers use to hire new workers?
Dislocated Workers
1. Who is a dislocated worker?
Dislocated workers are those who lose their job due to no particular fault of their own, but rather due to a business shut down or layoff.
2. What is the distribution of dislocated workers by age and sex?
Approximately 53% of the dislocated workers are male and 47% are female.
Dislocated Workers by Age
| Age Group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 45-49 yrs | 15.0% |
| 40-44 yrs | 14.3% |
| 30-34 yrs | 11.9% |
| 35-39 yrs | 11.9% |
| 50-54 yrs | 10.7% |
| 55-59 yrs | 10.3% |
| 20-24 yrs | 8.3% |
| 25-29 yrs | 7.6% |
| 60-64 yrs | 4.7% |
| 16-19 yrs | 2.7% |
| 65 yrs or over | 2.7% |
Source: MERIC
3. What is the highest education level completed by dislocated workers?
4. What are the reasons for job loss?
The two most contributing factors to job losses in the region were insufficient work and company closures.
5. Since being out of work, what have most dislocated workers done so far?
6. What are the main challenges that dislocated workers face in getting a new job?
7. Which services would benefit dislocated workers the most?
Services Most Useful to Dislocated Workers
| Services | Percent |
|---|---|
| Job leads/ Job Placement | 19% |
| Training in high demand occupations | 11% |
| Job Search skills | 10% |
| Resume writing assistance | 10% |
| Interviewing skills | 9% |
| Job search tips from experienced workers | 9% |
| Transportation assistance (while looking for work or in school) | 8% |
| Career counseling | 7% |
| Testing to determine job interests and skills | 5% |
| License / Certification renewal | 4% |
| Relocation assistance | 4% |
| Dependent care assistance (while looking for work or in school) | 3% |
| Vocational Rehabilitation | 3% |
Source: MERIC
8. What kinds of training are the dislocated workers interested in receiving?
9. What are some of the barriers preventing dislocated workers from committing to long term training?
