Show Me Jobs report: Young firms created 44,000 jobs, drove majority of Missouri hiring in 2018
September 18, 2019 | Rashi Shrivastava
Startups created more than 44,000 jobs in Missouri in 2018, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all new jobs in the state, according to a new report from MOSourceLink.
The Show Me Jobs report is a broader version of a similar report focused on the Kansas City market. MOSourceLink, a nonprofit resource provider for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state, compiled the report based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
“When we were able to tell people how many jobs were created by small firms in Kansas City, it really made a difference in terms of inspiring other people to think about entrepreneurship and to generate support for entrepreneurs in the community,” said Kate Hodel, who works on special projects for MOSourceLink.
Click here to read the full report.
The report defined startups as first-time employers that have fewer than 20 employees. It presented data related to job creation, wages and the industry concentration of early-stage companies in Missouri.
First-time employers created more than 190,000 jobs in the last four years, according to the report. That accounted for about four of every five new jobs in the state and 7 percent of total employment in Missouri.

Jobs created by the tech sector continued to grow since 2014, the data revealed. Last year, new tech firms created more than 2,000 jobs, which was higher than the average between 2014 and 2018. Tech firms also paid wages that were about $50,000 more than the state’s average wage.

Missouri was home to more than 19,000 startups in 2018, the report said. Though clustered in high-population regions like Kansas City and St. Louis, new jobs were distributed across the state. As of 2018, the health care and social assistance industry produced the most startups.
“I think it’s important to realize that these jobs are being created all across the state, by all different kinds of businesses,” Hodel said.

This story was produced through a collaboration between Missouri Business Alert and Startland News.
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Concert: Black rockstars don’t just exist — they innovated the genre; how KC artists are still (song)writing history
A rock concert Friday at the newly opened Zhou B Art Center in Kansas City does more than place Black artists center stage for one night, said Malek Azrael; it spotlights that Black creatives belong in every musical space. “There is such a beautiful, Black presence in Kansas City and rock,” said Azrael, who is…
Blackhole Bakery plans bodega-style expansion for second location: a West Plaza ‘blank canvas’
During his five years operating on Troost, Jason Provo said real estate agents often approached him, asking, “When are you going to leave and get a big boy spot in Leawood?” Now the owner of beloved Blackhole Bakery is planning his second location. But not in Johnson County. Provo is taking over a space at…
Dublin down on shenanigans: Smoke Brewing goes green with St. Patrick’s season pop-up
St. Patrick’s Day-themed Shenanigans is now open in downtown Lee’s Summit. But just until March 23. The owners of Smoke Brewing Company at 209 S.E. Main St. decked out the barbecue restaurant and brewery in floor-to-ceiling St. Paddy’s decor, and have food and drink specials to match. It’s a way to make St. Patrick’s Day…
