Missouri unemployment has dropped to 3.5%, below the national rate, and the state wage floor is now $15.00. Here is what that means for pay, speed and volume hiring.
Missouri's jobless rate fell from 4.0% to 3.5% over the past year. That is below the U.S. rate of 4.2%. Nonfarm jobs grew +1.1% to 3.02 million, against a labor force of 3.17 million. Fewer people are looking and more jobs are open, so candidates have choices.
Pay is the second pressure point. The statewide minimum wage is now $15.00, and cities and counties cannot set a higher one. The wage table below uses May 2025 data. Several entry-level roles had a 10th percentile of $13.75 and medians close to or below today's floor. Treat the bottom of those ranges as history, not a budget.
The practical result: the floor is higher and the candidate pool is thinner. Employers who reply fast, post clear pay and keep candidates moving will fill seats first. The sections below turn each table into specific steps.
Openings run at 4.1% while hires sit at 3.2%, so roles are posted faster than they are filled. A quits rate of 2.2% means many workers are staying put, so you often need to pull people from jobs they already hold.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES, JOLTS). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $15.84 | $29.06 | $59.06 | 14,100 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $16.88 | $29.78 | $60.23 | 21,960 |
| Telemarketers | $13.75 | $14.35 | $17.85 | 2,710 |
| Customer service representatives | $15.37 | $21.24 | $30.72 | 50,530 |
| Retail salespersons | $13.75 | $16.09 | $22.41 | 67,140 |
| Cashiers | $13.75 | $14.67 | $18.09 | 69,430 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $14.61 | $18.79 | $25.25 | 43,050 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $13.75 | $14.61 | $17.71 | 29,360 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $14.11 | $17.26 | $22.28 | 41,070 |
| Sales managers | $29.29 | $55.46 | $107.37 | 7,630 |
Most Missouri medians trail the national figures, for example customer service reps at $21.24 versus $21.53 nationally. Low-end figures such as cashiers at $13.75 predate the current $15.00 floor, so budget entry roles from the floor upward.
560,800 jobs · 18.6% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
At 18.6% of jobs and growing +0.8%, trade and transportation is the biggest steady source of demand for warehouse movers, drivers and sales associates, so keep a standing pipeline rather than sourcing from zero each time.
548,200 jobs · 18.2% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Education and health grew +1.7% on an 18.2% share, which means aides, medical assistants and childcare staff are in steady demand and quick screening for credentials and availability matters.
368,400 jobs · 12.2% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services grew +1.3%, and its contact-center and telemarketing roles compete on pay near the floor, with telemarketers at a median of $14.35 in the May 2025 data.
318,500 jobs · 10.6% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality is the fastest-growing major sector at +2.9%, so servers, cooks and housekeepers will be hired in waves and benefit from bulk outreach and same-week interviews.
278,900 jobs · 9.2% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Manufacturing changed −0.2% over the year, so production and machine-operator hiring is mostly replacement work, and re-engaging past applicants can be faster than new sourcing.
Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest sector at 18.6% of jobs, with education and health close behind at 18.2%. Leisure and hospitality is growing fastest at +2.9%, while manufacturing is roughly flat.
The table summarizes the statewide rules identified in the sources reviewed, including the minimum wage and the limit on asking about expunged records. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with the relevant state agency or your employment counsel before changing your process.
Missouri's only identified limit on employer background-check use is for expunged records: people with expunged records may answer "no" to employer inquiries, with exceptions for legally regulated jobs.
No statewide ban-the-box / fair chance requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Missouri's statewide minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in 2026, with no further scheduled increase, and state law bars cities and counties from setting a higher local wage.
No statewide non-compete agreements requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
No statewide pay transparency requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting.
Unemployment at 3.5% means the people you want are fielding other offers. A same-day text confirming receipt and offering an interview slot beats an email that sits unread. Set automations so every new applicant gets a message without anyone touching it.
The statewide minimum is $15.00, and local governments cannot raise it further. Old ranges built on figures like $13.75 for counter workers no longer apply. Post a clear starting rate at or above the floor, and say what moves someone up.
Services sales pay runs from $15.84 to $59.06 an hour, and the median of $29.06 trails the national $33.65. Candidates discount vague 'earning potential' claims. List the base, a realistic typical total and what top performers earn.
With a quits rate of 2.2%, many good candidates are employed and not actively applying. Offer short applications, evening and weekend interview slots, and mobile-friendly booking. Re-engage past applicants and silver medalists before paying for new traffic.
Leisure and hospitality is growing +2.9%, and trade and retail make up the largest share of jobs. Hire in cohorts: one outreach push, one block of interviews, one onboarding date. Bulk messaging and status moves keep a batch from stalling.
Missouri's problem is speed and volume in a tight market with a higher wage floor. Conversational SMS and automations let you text every applicant from one inbox and trigger follow-ups on status, time or action, so no one waits for a reply. Self-service interview scheduling lets employed candidates book their own slot with automated reminders. When hospitality or warehouse demand spikes, bulk actions let you message and move thousands of candidates at once instead of one by one.
Start at or above the statewide minimum of $15.00; state law bars cities and counties from setting a higher local wage. The May 2025 wage table shows medians such as $16.09 for retail salespersons, but those figures predate the current floor. Use them to see where you stand relative to peers, not as a ceiling.
Fairly tight. Unemployment is 3.5%, below the national 4.2%, and the job openings rate of 4.1% runs ahead of the hires rate of 3.2%. Expect candidates to have options and move quickly.
No statewide ban-the-box or fair chance requirement was identified in the sources reviewed. Missouri does let people with expunged records answer 'no' to employer inquiries, with exceptions for legally regulated jobs. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm with counsel and check any local rules that may apply.
Yes, texting is common in recruiting, but get clear opt-in consent before sending messages and honor STOP or opt-out requests right away. Keep messages tied to the application and identify your company in each one. Ask your counsel to review your consent language.
Work in batches. Send one outreach message to a filtered group, open a block of interview times candidates can book themselves, and move everyone who passes to the same onboarding date. This keeps volume hiring from turning into hundreds of one-off conversations.
No statewide pay transparency requirement was identified in the sources reviewed. Even so, listing pay tends to help in a tight market because candidates can screen themselves in quickly. Confirm current requirements with your counsel.
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 17, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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