St. Louis’s Tech Industry Adds 2,600 Jobs
Unlike Most Cities, St. Louis’s Tech Industry Grows Four Years in a Row

Oakbrook Terrace, IL (June 24, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation's Top 60 Cities. This detailed report tracks trends in high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential at the metropolitan level.

The high-tech industry in St. Louis added 2,600 net jobs, a five percent increase, for an industry total of 52,800 in 2006, according to the most current metropolitan data available. This was the eighth fastest growth in the nation and the fourth consecutive year of growth. These jobs are also high paying; the average tech industry worker in St. Louis earned $74,600, or 79 percent more than the metropolitan area’s average private sector wage.

The largest high-tech sector in St. Louis was computer systems design and related services, which employed 12,800 workers in 2006. This was followed by telecommunications services, with 12,700 workers, an increase of 700 jobs over the previous year.

“St. Louis’s high-tech industry has now seen four straight years of job growth and unlike most other cities has fully recovered from the tech bubble downturn in 2001,” said Ed Longanecker, Executive Director, AeA’s Midwest Council. “However, in order to continue this growth, Congress and the President need to fully fund the America Competes Act, which passed by overwhelming margins in 2007. This Act invested in scientific research – the seed corn for future innovation – and math and science education to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers. Unfortunately Congress never funded the bill. We call on them to do so this year. American competitiveness depends it.”

Cybercities 2008 shows that the top five cybercities by high-tech employment in 2006 were the New York Metro Area, Washington, DC, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The nation’s highest tech industry concentration was in San Jose/Silicon Valley, where more than one in four private sector workers were employed by the tech industry. Seattle saw the largest tech industry employment growth, adding 7,800 jobs in 2006.

Later this summer, AeA will release Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade. That report will look at the most recent data on high-tech exports from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

AeA members can purchase Cybercities 2008 for $125; non-members for $250.  Visit www.aeanet.org/cybercities to download the report, or call 408.987.4200. 

What Does High Tech Mean for St. Louis?

• 52,800 high-tech workers in 2006 (26th ranked cybercity)
   

• Five percent job growth between 2005 and 2006 (8th ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech firms employed 46 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2006 (43rd ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $74,600 (30th ranked), or 79 percent more than St. Louis’s average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $3.9 billion in 2006 (25th ranked cybercity)
   

• 2,600 high-tech establishments in 2006 (25th ranked cybercity)

St. Louis’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 18th in telecommunications services employment with 12,700 jobs
   

• 18th in R&D and testing labs employment with 8,300 jobs
   

• 24th in computer systems design and related services employment with 12,800 jobs

Notes:

ST. LOUIS = Illinois Counties: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair; Missouri Counties: Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, and Washington.

Data are for 2006 unless otherwise noted.

2006 data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

Source: Cybercities 2008

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.   

This page was last updated on 06/20/08.            
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