LABOR MARKET

UNDERSTANDING PATHWAYS TO QUALITY JOBS IN ST. LOUIS

The IPP’s Enhanced Labor Market Analysis (ELMA) was developed to help the St. Louis region move from fragmented insight to coordinated action.

By combining job demand data with real-world economic conditions, ELMA reveals where quality jobs exist, who is disconnected from them, and where targeted action can unlock the region’s talent and potential.

Explore the Findings

ELMA turns complex labor market data into insights you can use.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FULL REPORT

Quarterly Demand Updates

The full Enhanced Labor Market Analysis is published annually. Between editions, IPP releases a shorter quarterly update on the demand side of the St. Louis labor market, tracking how employer demand for Opportunity Occupations shifts quarter to quarter.

September 2026, covering July 2024 through June 2026.

Read the September update

ALIGNING THE ST. LOUIS MARKET

Understanding both sides of the labor market allows opportunity and talent to truly connect.

SUPPLY SIDE
ELMA reveals the true state of the labor supply: an engaged workforce with significant untapped potential, constrained by long-standing inequities.

DEMAND SIDE ELMA identifies where opportunity exists, going beyond job counts to show where quality, accessible work is emerging.

working-age St. Louisans earn less than a living wage, are underemployed, or are stuck in a job without pathways to advancement

low- and moderate-income population clusters defined to better understand who is working, who is under-connected, and where interventions can have the greatest impact