Springfield, Missouri ranked third among American cities for job growth

By: Rachael Mhire | 12 years ago

Researchers at 24/7 Wall St. recently named the top five American cities that have gained the most jobs from November 2010 – October 2011 using data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Springfield ranked 3rd with a job growth rate of nearly 5 percent, representing more than 3,610 new jobs within the city.

This is the second top 5 ranking the area has received in a week and continues to point to Springfield and the surrounding area as a leader in the nation for economic recovery. Springfield’s unemployment has also dropped to 7.4 percent, a full percent below the state rate of 8.5, and the City of Springfield sales tax revenue has increased more than 10 percent from a year ago.

The Springfield Metro Area (population nearly 450,000) has grown at virtually the same rate, adding 9,459 jobs in the past year. In 2011, the Springfield region announced 12 expansion projects in a diverse mix of industries including manufacturing, distribution, back office operations and technology development companies. Expanding companies include global leaders such as John Deere and Expedia as well as local successes such as HealthMEDX and Digital Monitoring Products. These companies often cite the quality labor force and low cost of doing business as reasons for their growth leading to new jobs.

The other cities listed in the top 5 were Fort Wayne, Ind. (1); Pueblo, Colo. (2); Bakersfield, Calif. (4); Miami, Fla. (5). Read more from 24/7 Wall St. »