Researchers at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce say Missouri is not keeping up with the growing demand for people with postsecondary education. The study [Download PDF] says 59 percent of all Missouri jobs will require some postsecondary education. That’s four points below the national average.

Researcher Michelle Melton says trends indicate Missouri will fall toward the bottom in good-paying, secure jobs

Missouri today is slightly below average in the number of citizens with college degrees..If things remain the same, Missouri will produce jobs that are not ideal,” she says.

Melton says there’s a message for Missourians, especially for the parents of the children who will be entering the job market eight years from now. If people don’t invest in educational improvements now, she says, their children will pay for it later.

AUDIO: Interview with researchers (28 min)

Executive Summary