How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Missouri gained 9,700 jobs in January 2026, ranking it ninth among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 3,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+9.7K

month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)

9th

rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
Missouri’s job gain of 9,700 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 2,500 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Missouri gained jobs in 43 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the 13th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2021 (+25,700) while job growth was weakest in January 2025 (-23,600).

There were 9,700 more jobs in January 2026 in Missouri than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which Missouri sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were construction, accommodation and food services, and health care and social assistance. Construction added 7,100 jobs, more than the entire economy. Accommodation and food services gained 5,600 jobs, while health care and social assistance added 2,800. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

The health care and social assistance sector gained 2,800 jobs during January 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Missouri (January 2026)

How does Missouri's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has gained an average of 4,400 jobs every month. That's higher than the 2024 average monthly increase of 1,800, and the highest since 2021. The 2025 average ranks as third-highest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 8,100 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 5,000 on average every month in 2015.

In 2025, Missouri gained an average of 4,400 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among eight metro areas at least partially in Missouri during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 100 jobs in the Jefferson City, MO area to a gain of 2,100 jobs in the Kansas City, MO area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Missouri

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.