Sep. 17—The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce often hears from community members about the struggles of finding a job, especially one that pays an affordable wage in the area. But a report from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center shows that out of 114 counties in Missouri, Buchanan County ranked the seventh highest in average annual wages.

Natalie Redmond, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said the cost of living in St. Joseph plays a big factor in the average wages employees see.

"From a state perspective, we're on the higher end of average cost. So a lot of times we hear we don't have any good jobs. But if you look at the average salary and how it compares across the state, we're doing really well and we know we have a lower cost of living," Redmond said. "And so even when you compare that to St. Louis or Kansas City, we have a lower cost of living. When you compare us to other cities in the state that have similar costs of living and our average annual salary is higher. So that's a great thing."

David Wegenka, managing partner at IMKO Workforce Solutions, said that their company has seen a lot of changes through the years when it comes to average pay and minimum wage.

"We've been in the job market, you know, for 50 years. We have a lot of employee data. And what we see on the individuals, the minimum wage being ... $11.15, we haven't paid a minimum wage job for I don't know how long. You know, our average pay rates range between, you know, $15.75 up to about $16.50, with the highest paying jobs being right around that $20-$24 an hour wage," Wegenka said.

When looking at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2021 Report, workers in the St. Joseph area had an average hourly wage of $22.95, which is 18% lower than the nationwide average. The farming occupational group is 13% higher in hourly wages in St. Joseph, and construction is 5% higher. Production and manufacturing is 2% lower.

Kevin Kelly, CEO of LifeLine Foods, said that manufacturing is one of the main job-leading occupations in St. Joseph.

"We are a manufacturing-based economy here in St. Joe. We still to this day have a lot of manufacturing jobs. Manufacturing pays well. And when you compare it to the rest of the state of Missouri, we fare very, very well in terms of pay versus other areas," Kelly said.

Kelly also said that while St. Joseph is an affordable economy to live in, LifeLine Foods has had to work to still pay their employees a very competitive wage to keep the business staffed.

"We have found here, particularly in the last two or three years, that we have to pay competitive wages. We have no choice. And I'm competing against every other manufacturer in town, whether it's Altec, Triumph, anyone for that matter. We have to be competitive," Kelly said. "And frankly, we are going to remain competitive because that's how you attract quality workers. We have a really tight labor market and we have to pay what the marketplace bears. Otherwise, we will not find employees who will work at LifeLine."

Wegenka said that his company sees job openings in St. Joseph every day.

"You know, if you want to work, there's work. No doubt about it. We have a saying around here, you know, there's always 2% of the population that's not going to want to work. You know, hopefully they're out there looking for work. We still have several openings. I mean, all of our jobs are not full. On average, we have anywhere between 30 and 45 job openings daily," Wegenka said.

With these numbers being released, Redmond is hoping St. Joseph residents looking for a job will search to find the right one for them.

"We have some amazing global companies in St. Joseph. And if you want a job in St. Joseph, we can find you one," Redmond said.