Working Missourians are the engines of our economy, supplying the products and services we all use in our daily lives. They harvest the food we eat, build the homes we live in, and pave the roads we drive on; they keep our communities safe, provide our families with state-of-the-art health care and quality education. It is through the labor of Missourians that we develop strong communities where opportunity is possible for everyone.
Missourians believe that when you work hard, you ought to be able to get ahead – to keep a roof over your head, put food on the table, and save a little for a rainy day. Unfortunately, millions of working Missourians know that despite their work, they’re still struggling to afford the basics and are just one paycheck away from crises.
The State of Working Missouri provides an overview of information on wages and employment to illustrate what’s happening in our state’s labor market and how our workers are faring. Overall, the data show that recent modest gains for workers are not sufficient to materially improve their lives. Moreover, many working families are struggling to make ends meet and are just one emergency away from financial disaster. The report also underscores that even when circumstances improve generally, Black and female workers continue to face tougher economic headwinds than their white and male counterparts.
We hope that this report can serve as a starting point to develop policy recommendations for building an economy that works for everyone.
