State Overview -- Missouri Private Sector Employers Increases by 5,660 from 2000-2003
The number of Missouri private sector business establishments having at least some payroll increased from 144,755 in March, 2000 to 150,415 in March, 2003 – an increase of 3.9 percent. The number of establishments increased by nearly 4 percent in three years but their total payroll increased from $72.195 billion in 2000 to $75.595 billion in 2003 – an increase of $ 3.4 billion (4.7% growth). Although the firms increased in number and payroll, the total number employed declined slightly from 2.399 million in 2000 to 2.388 million in 2003 (a decline of 0.5%).
The Large Number of Small Business Employers
Significant about private sector establishments, not only in Missouri but across the nation, is that more than 85 percent of these are small businesses – employing fewer than 20 workers. For the entire U.S., nearly 90 percent (89.5%) of all business establishments having a payroll employed fewer than 20 employees.
In Missouri the number of business establishments employing fewer than 20 increased from 123,823 in 2000 to 129,221 in 2003 – an increase of 4.4 percent which accounted for nearly 96 percent of the total increase in business establishments in Missouri from 2000-2003. Across Missouri, in 66 of the 115 counties more than 90 percent of businesses establishments employed fewer than 20 workers. Even in the large population counties, well over 80 percent of all establishments employed fewer than 20 such as St. Louis County (82.7 percent), St. Charles County (85.9 percent) Jackson County (83.2 percent), and Greene County (83.4 percent).
Change in Midsize and Larger Employers
Midsize employers are those that employ between 20 and 100 workers and the large employ more than 100. From 2000-2003 the number of midsize employers increased from 17,312 to 17,696 – an increase of 2.2 percent. There were, however, 19 counties in which there was at least a 10 percent increase in number of midsize employers from 2000-2003. Most of those are counties with larger and growing population such as in the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas, Springfield, Joplin, and Boone and Buchanan (Columbia and St. Joseph).
During the same period, the number of large employers declined from 3,620 to 3,498. Only six counties had an increase of 2.7 percent or more in large employers from 2000-2003.
This file last modified Friday May 08, 2009, 14:32:23
Questions/Comments regarding this page or this Web site are strongly encouraged and can be sent to
OSEDA, Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis Telephone: (573)882-7396
240 Heinkel Building, Columbia, MO 65211