Missouri added 8,100 jobs in July 2026, unemployment fell to 3.6 percent, and year-over-year job growth reached nearly 30,000 positions. Here’s a breakdown of the latest labor market data and what it means for workers and employers across mid-Missouri.

Every August, students walk into buildings they have never been in before and agree to spend months learning things they do not yet understand. What if the rest of us did the same? Here is what students can teach us about showing up.

Free community resources came together at the Lebanon YMCA this summer, with the Central Workforce Development Region on hand to connect attendees with job seeker services.

After Royal Canin’s Rolla plant closed and cost more than 100 jobs, Keith Smith turned to the WIOA Dislocated Worker program, earned his CDL, and launched a new career as a professional truck driver with TMC Transportation.

Jefferson City is set to have a Missouri Job Center again after several years without one, thanks to a new partnership between the Central Workforce Development Board and First Christian Church Disciples of Christ. The center will offer employment services, resume help, training, and apprenticeship support to job seekers across the community.

A new Missouri Job Center is coming to downtown Jefferson City, opening in a partnership between First Christian Church and Missouri Workforce Development this fall.

Veterans, employers, and workforce partners gathered at the Missouri State Capitol on Friday, July 24, for Hire a Veteran Day. Missouri Job Center staff from Columbia and Sedalia connected attendees with employment opportunities, career resources, and services designed to support veterans in their next career.

Missouri adults returning to school have a new opportunity to make training affordable. The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant application is now open for the 2026-2027 academic year, covering tuition, fees, and apprenticeship costs for eligible students pursuing careers in high-demand industries.

Every day, people walk through the doors of Central Region Job Centers and do one of the hardest things a person can do — they ask for help. So why is it so hard for the rest of us to do the same?

ingle mom Stephanie Stapleton turned a low-wage gas station job into a healthcare career, earning her Medical Assistant certifications with WIOA Adult and Healthy Blue support.