Economy of St facts for kids
The economy of St. Louis, Missouri is like a big puzzle with many different pieces. These pieces are called sectors, and they represent all the different ways people earn money and businesses operate in the city. St. Louis has always had a mix of these sectors, making its economy strong and varied.
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How St. Louis Makes Money and What Jobs People Do
In 2011, the total value of all goods and services produced in the St. Louis area was about $133.1 billion. This made St. Louis one of the top 25 biggest economies in the United States.
Back in 2007, businesses in St. Louis made a lot of money from different activities:
- Making things (manufacturing): Nearly $11 billion. This includes factories that produce various goods.
- Healthcare and social services: $3.5 billion. This means hospitals, clinics, and services that help people.
- Professional and technical services: $3.1 billion. These are jobs like lawyers, engineers, and computer experts.
- Shopping (retail trade): $2.5 billion. This covers all the stores where people buy things.
When it comes to jobs, the healthcare sector employed the most people, with about 34,000 workers. Other big job areas included:
- Office and support jobs: 24,000 workers.
- Manufacturing: 21,000 workers.
- Food service: 20,000 workers.
In July 2013, St. Louis had about 143,000 people in its workforce. Most of them had jobs, but about 15,000 people were looking for work. This meant the unemployment rate was about 10.8 percent. By May 2014, the unemployment rate had dropped to 7.2 percent.
New Businesses and Jobs
In 2015, a big Swedish furniture store called IKEA opened in St. Louis. It built a huge store that was about 380,000 square feet. This new store created around 300 jobs for people in the city.
Rivers and Railroads: Moving Goods
The Mississippi River and Missouri River are very important for St. Louis. They help move a lot of goods, especially big items like grain, coal, and salt. In 2004, the Port of St. Louis was one of the busiest inland ports in the country.
St. Louis is also a major hub for railroads. It's the third-largest railroad center in the U.S. Trains move all sorts of products through St. Louis, from food and drinks to cars and car parts.
Healthcare and Medical Research
St. Louis is a big center for healthcare and medical research. Many hospitals and medical centers provide jobs and help people stay healthy.
Some of the major healthcare employers in the city include:
- BJC HealthCare: This organization runs important hospitals like Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital.
- Washington University School of Medicine: This is a top medical research center that works closely with Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Saint Louis University Hospital: Another important medical research facility and hospital.
- Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital: A hospital specifically for children.
St. Louis is also home to companies that create special software for radiation therapy. This software helps doctors plan treatments for serious illnesses.
Major Companies in St. Louis
The St. Louis area is home to many large and important companies. As of 2013, nine companies based here were on the Fortune 500 list. The Fortune 500 is a list of the 500 largest companies in the United States by total revenue.
Some of these big companies include:
- Express Scripts
- Emerson Electric
- Monsanto
- Reinsurance Group of America
- Centene
- Peabody Energy
- Ameren
- Graybar Electric
- Edward Jones Investments
Other well-known companies in St. Louis are:
