Recent issues
Vol. 5, Issue 10: Online Microbusiness Concentrations – August 19, 2024 (PDF)
A 2024 national survey of online microbusinesses shows they are typically very small, with roughly half as sole entrepreneurs and another 30% with two to four employees. Most owners use their microbusiness for supplemental pay, but a majority want to grow it into a primary income source. Roughly 60% of microbusinesses make less than $5,000 a month in income, while 25% bring in more than $10,000 a month.
Vol. 5, Issue 9: Population Trends – July 15, 2024 (PDF)
Missouri’s 2020-23 annual population growth rate of 0.2%, typical for the Midwest, notably outpaced neighboring Illinois (-0.6%) and Kansas (0.0%) but was significantly slower than Tennessee (1.0%) and Oklahoma (0.7%). Nonmetro areas grew faster than metro regions from 2020-23 in contrast to the prior decade’s trend of rural population decline. Recreation-dependent counties, which had stagnated population change from 2010-20, are increasing population five times faster than the state average from 2020-23.
Vol. 5, Issue 8: Construction – June 10, 2024 (PDF)
In 2023, more than 180,000 Missourians were employed in the construction sector. The demand for construction services is on the rise in Missouri, yet many contractors struggle to find qualified workers. In response to the increasing demand, Missouri contractors have been hiring aggressively – and the possibility of even greater workforce needs loom on the horizon.