State of Missouri (Table 3-10)

In 2010 the civilian labor force of the Missouri was comprised of 1,563,954 men and 1,456,945 women for a total of 3,020,899 persons in the force, an increase of 33.7 percent from 1980 (chart 3-28). The unemployment rate of the state in 1980 was 6.9 percent which dropped to 6.2 percent in 1990 and dropped almost a full percent to 5.3 percent in 2000. The great recession caused a sharp increase in the unemployment rate to 7.4 percent in 2010 with 224,872 persons considered unemployed. Chart 3-29 provides a graphic depiction of the unemployment rates from 1980 through 2010.

	Source: 1980, 1990, 2000 Census and 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-yr Estimates
	Source: 1980, 1990, 2000 Census and 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-yr Estimates

In 2010, 34.8 percent of those counted in the civilian noninstitutional population were not in the civilian labor force. This number is down by 4.1 percent from 1980. Notably, the percentage of males not in the labor force has increased since 1980 by 4 percent compared to the number of females not in the labor force decreasing by 11.3 percent during the same period (chart 3-30).

	Source: 1980, 1990, 2000 Census and 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-yr Estimates

A review of the above information indicates a significant increase in women entering the civilian workforce over the past 30 years. An additional 484,529 women – 16,739 from within the Meramec Region – joined the workforce from 1980 through 2010. With this transition came many changes to individuals and families across the region.