Missouri named a Top Ten state for advanced manufacturing growth, continues to lead Midwest, Gov. Nixon announces

Missouri has been named the 6^th best state in the nation for its annual advanced manufacturing industry job growth in a new report from the Brookings Institution, Gov. Nixon announced today. The same report also found that Missouri is the 8^th best state in the nation for output growth of its advanced manufacturing industry.

“When I first came into office, unemployment was at a record high, manufacturing plants were closing, and families were losing their homes,” said Gov. Nixon. “But we rolled up our sleeves, focused our resources and invested in our highly-skilled and talented workforce. These rankings are a testament to our efforts to move Missouri’s economy forward and to create more jobs for Missouri families.”

The Brookings analysis follows the state’s most recent jobs report which indicated that Missouri’s durable goods manufacturing sector led the state’s private-industry employment growth between May and July with more than 6,400 new jobs. Missouri has also led the Midwest for manufacturing growth for the past three consecutive months.

Missouri’s entrepreneurial community continues to attract new companies and attention for its supportive ecosystem, innovative firms, and talented workforce. The Kauffman Foundation recently ranked Missouri 9^th best for Startup Activity, up one spot from the previous year, for its growing density, which came in at 88.3. The foundation also ranked Kansas City 18^th, up 11 spots from 2015, as one of the top metros in the country for Startup Activity.

Business Facilities magazine, a national publication, recently released its 2016 annual state rankings report, which analyzes a variety of economic development benchmarks to determine the top states for a number of categories. This year, Missouri earned a top spot in two of these categories: 7th Best Infrastructure and 10^th for Wind Power Expansion Leaders. In addition to these state rankings, the magazine also recognized several Missouri metros, including Joplin (7^th for Logistics Leaders and 8^th for Best Quality of Life), Kansas City (9^th for Economic Growth Potential), and Springfield (10^th for Entrepreneurial Leaders).