© 2024 KRPS | Four States Public Radio • PO Box 899 • Pittsburg, KS 66762 • (620) 235-4288 – KRPS is a broadcast service of Pittsburg State University
The Four States NPR News Source
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SWMO economy recovered from pandemic as companies expand against tight hiring market

KRPS | By Fred Fletcher-Fierro
Published April 17, 2023 at 5:06 AM CDT

On the heels of a February 2022 Wall Street Journal article that named Joplin as the number two city to live in and work remotely in the US, JACC, and MO/KAN officials will highlight job force diversification efforts.

Last month we got an update from the Pittsburg, (Kansas) Chamber of Commerce regarding economic development.

At the Joplin city council meeting tonight, we'll get fresh information regarding the economic position of southwest Missouri. KRPS's Fred Fletcher-Fierro has this preview.

According to data from the Pittsburg, KS Chamber of Commerce, the current unemployment rate in the city is 2.7%, a whole point better than the national unemployment rate.

Tonight's southwest Missouri economic update is a collaboration between the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and the MO/Kan Partnership which seeks to create economic regionalism between Missouri and Kansas. Tonight's slide presentation paints a rosy picture of the area's post-pandemic economy.

Currently, three local companies are working through incentive applications with the state of Missouri for planned expansions, and an additional seven Joplin companies are in various stages of expansion.

Also, 15 companies are receiving training through Crowder College using the Missouri One Start program.

JACC and MO/KAN will highlight that Joplin and Springfield were the first Missouri metros to recover the jobs they lost during the pandemic shutdown.

The formal portion of the Joplin city council meeting gets underway tonight at 6. For 89 9 KRPS, I'm Fred Fletcher-Fierro

Link to tonight Joplin city council meeting agenda
Tags
Local News State GovernmentCity CouncilJoplinEconomy
Fred Fletcher-Fierro
Since 2017 Fred Fletcher-Fierro has driven up Highway 171 through thunderstorms, downpours, snow, and ice storms to host KRPS’s Morning Edition. He’s also a daily reporter for the station, covering city government, elections, public safety, arts, entertainment, culture, sports and more. Fred has also spearheaded and overseen a sea change in programming for KRPS from a legacy classical station to one that airs a balance of classical, news, jazz, and cultural programming that better reflects the diverse audience of the Four States. For over two months in the fall of 2022 he worked remotely with NPR staff to relaunch krps.org to an NPR style news and information website.

In the fall of 2023 Fred was promoted to Interim General Manager and was appointed GM in Feburary of 2024.
See stories by Fred Fletcher-Fierro