November 14, 2016
Contact:
Colene McEntee, Communications Manager, 636-949-1851, cmcentee@sccmo.org
Mary Enger, Communications Director, 636-949-1856, or 636-443-1008, menger@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri – After a temporary uptick during the summer, unemployment rates are falling again in St. Charles County, dropping to 3.7 percent in September 2016, down from 4.1 percent in August. At the same time, employers of all sizes around the area are in the midst of a hiring wave.
“A recent report from the Federal Reserve said the full employment situation in metro St. Louis is leading to wage pressure among businesses as they compete for new employees,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “Since the beginning of this year, we have been saying there are more jobs than qualified job seekers in St. Charles County. At the same time, our community is experiencing a hiring wave as local companies look for entry-level and mid-level workers for administrative, technical and service positions.”
The labor force for St. Charles County grew slightly in September to 222,032, up 1,022 from the previous month.
The community’s annual average labor force for 2015 was 217,392.
“Currently, we are working with some of our largest employers on recruiting events and job postings as they try to fill as many as 1,000 full-time positions now available around St. Charles County,” said Scott J. Drachnik, Director of the County’s Department of Workforce & Business Development. He said some of the businesses eagerly hiring new employees or back-filling open positions include Nike IHM, True Manufacturing, Reckitt-Benckiser (RB Manufacturing), Wainwright Industries, Serco and Ameristar Casino – St. Charles.
“Our local population and labor force continue to increase at impressive rates, but so are the job orders,” Drachnik said. “It’s one of the reasons local economic development professionals and civic groups are turning their attention to the need to recruit new residents to the region because of the quality of life and the ample career opportunities in St. Charles County and metro St. Louis.” Anyone looking for a new full-time job is encouraged to visit the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County at 212 Turner Boulevard in St. Peters to explore opportunities available in the community.
For more information about the local economy, contact the St. Charles County Department of Workforce & Business Development at 636-255-6060 or visit http://www.sccmo.org/Workforce-Business-Development.
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