New year, new job? Here's how to stand out with your search
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It’s a worker’s market, with 10 openings for every six unemployed workers in Missouri. But there are important caveats to keep in mind for a successful search in 2024, said Rob Russell, University of Missouri Extension senior program director for business and community development.
Ask the Worker
Are you having trouble hiring employees? It is hard to find an employer who is not having trouble hiring enough staff. The worker shortage is real, and there are a lot of contributing factors. Is how you talk about your lack of workers contributing to the problem?
Recovery Friendly Workplace designation: “A good business decision”
Becoming a recovery friendly workplace was a no-brainer, says Theresa Calvert, vice president of Ace Pipe Cleaning Inc., a Kansas City, Missouri, company with 200 employees. “It’s not only the right thing to do for our employees; it’s a good business decision, too,” Calvert said. Ace is among the first six companies to receive this designation since the University of Missouri Extension Recovery designation process has been available…
Survey seeks worker input on recovery friendly workplaces
Sidebars: Success story: Tower Rock Stone Co. and B
Statewide survey shows that drugs affect 70% of Missouri employers
A new statewide survey illustrates a growing substance use disorder problem in Missouri workplaces. According to the survey of 619 Missouri business owners and human resource professionals, more than 70% of Missouri employers surveyed say they are suffering consequences such as absenteeism, decreased productivity and accidents.
Suicide prevention in the workplace
In the United States alone, suicide accounts for nearly 40,000 lost lives per year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. That's an average of one suicide every 13 minutes. The truth is that anyone can be at risk. Sometimes you NEED help. Sometimes you ARE the help.
MU report looks at population trends in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s population grew by about 11,000 people from 2019 to 2020. This 0.2% increase is only half the national rate of 0.4%, though it is typical of the modest growth experienced by many other Midwestern states.
Placemaking and Jobs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The availability of good jobs is critical for attracting new residents to a community, encouraging former residents to return and convincing current residents to stay. But jobs alone are not enough anymore. Creating a vibrant community with desirable amenities is increasingly essential to attracting jobs and workers who can fill them, says Rob Russell, director of University of Missouri Extension’s labor and workforce…
Opioid use disorder: 'significant consequences' for Missouri's economy
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Opioid use disorder suppresses Missouri’s labor force participation rate by an estimated 3% among workers ages 25 to 54, according to a study by the American Action Forum. Only Arkansas and West Virginia experience greater losses in labor force participation due to opioid addiction.
Recovery friendly workplaces: A model for building a stronger Missouri workforce and economy
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mike Thibideau recalls the dread he felt that Monday morning when he called his boss to tell him he was in treatment for addiction.
Federal contracting trends and impacts in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri ranks eighth in federal contracting dollars as a share of total state gross domestic product. Missouri-based firms received $15.1 billion in prime federal contracts and almost $3 billion in subcontract awards in the federal fiscal year 2019. These contracts represented 5.4% of Missouri’s $332 billion 2019 GDP.
Study maps future workforce demands of state’s No. 1 economic driver: agriculture industries
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Over the next decade, Missouri’s food, agriculture and forestry industries are projected to generate 13,000 job openings each year. Deliberate statewide planning and action will ensure a globally competitive workforce for employers in these industries that are foundational to Missouri’s economy.
Getting employees in recovery back into the workplace
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Opioid addiction keeps an estimated 1 million Missourians out of the workforce and costs the state about $1 million an hour, including the loss of jobs and wages. A new University of Missouri community health initiative will help rural communities counter the effects of the opioid crisis by focusing on local workforce recovery efforts, which could also help faltering rural economies.