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Employment surged in the last two years for which data is available in the Old Trails Region, attendees were told Thursday at a meeting of the Extension Community Economic and Entrepreneurial Development group — commonly referred to as ExCEED — in Higginsville City Hall.
During that time — 2004 and 2005, job growth topped 3 percent in Lafayette and Saline counties, the two counties that make up the Old Trails Region, said Jill Lucht, a research associate for the Community Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri.
“Your two-year growth rate looks great,” she told the audience of about 15 at the gathering.
Job growth based on five- and 10-year statistics, from 1995 to 2000 and from 2001-2005, however, are not as promising, Lucht said. Lafayette County showed a growth rate of less than 0.3 percent during those two time frames, and Saline County actually lost a few jobs during the same time.
But Lucht said the two-year rate is the most important. She said total employment should top 29,000 full- and part-time jobs in 2015 and may reach more than 32,000 jobs.
External jobs increased during the two- and 10-year periods, but fell during the five-year average, Lucht added.
“We’re within commuting distance of well-paying jobs with good benefits,” said ExCEED member Don Borgman of Wellington. Borgman is the former city administrator and economic development coordinator for Lexington.
Per capita income increased during the past decade, rising from less than $25,000 to close to $29,000. Statistics show that it should range from slightly more than $30,000 to nearly $35,000 by 2015, Lucht said.
“This looks pretty good,” she said. “When jobs went down, you weren’t losing your better jobs.”
The labor force in the region is declining slightly, Lucht said, citing an older population base.
Most employers in the region are small. For example, Lucht said, nearly 1,100 businesses employ one to nine workers. On the other hand, 19 businesses or governmental units employ more than 100 workers. Nearly 290 businesses employ 10 to 99 workers.
Lucht’s report also will be presented at the Extension office in Marshall at 7 p.m. May 21.
The next step for ExCEED will be to develop a strategic plan.
“If you fail to plan, plan to fail,” Borgman said. “Use this data and plan.
“We must build a reputation as a region where something is going on.”
Elizabeth Barham, who heads the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project, agreed. The cuisines project, for example, is working with the University of Missouri in an attempt to develop a rural component in the school’s hotel and restaurant management program.
“Tourism is not the only thing,” Barham said, ěbut Regional Cuisines can make an important difference.î
She said such a program can bring in outside money, can give a region a reputation for having specialty value-added products and can help rural regions take something of their own to the market.
ěWe need to get creative and go for the more affluent customers,î she said.
To that end, she cited the growing number of wineries in the state. Missouri now boasts at least 78 wineries, she said.
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ID 4822
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