The Missouri Job Vacancy Survey (JVS), developed by the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development (DWD), Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) in conjunction with the Metropolitan Information and Data Analysis Services (MIDAS) division of the Public Policy Research Center (PPRC) at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), provides timely information about the quantity and quality of job vacancies in Missouri. The survey results supply a measure of employer demand for workers at a regional level along with an analysis of wage and benefits offered, education and experience requirements, and skill gaps of recent applicants.

Missouri employers undergoing business decisions on job retention, layoffs, complete closures, dealing with new parent companies/reorganization and those considering new investments/expansions are an enormous consumer of the job vacancy-skills demand information. Often, local plant facilities are fighting just as hard at keeping jobs within the company in Missouri as those working for state and local governments.

Giving these facilities and their parent companies more systematic information on labor demand, labor availability and skills in their area is a tremendous layoff aversion tool. This information delivered through the early warning networks and DWD’s Business Representatives will move JVS data from a job seeker tool to a proactive and aggressive layoff aversion strategy.