This article originally comes from the Illinois Business Journal
With a $209 billion gross domestic product (GDP)—placing it in the top third of U.S. metro areas—the St. Louis region continues to outperform peer cities in productivity and economic growth. Its unmatched combination of workforce readiness, industrial space availability and excellent multimodal infrastructure continues to fuel the region’s position as a national leader in freight and industrial development.
This data is among the key information included in the 2025 St. Louis Regional Industrial Real Estate Market Indicators & Workforce Statistics Report. The report was released on June 6 by the St. Louis Regional Freightway during the final day of its annual FreightWeekSTL conference.
From 2020-2025, the GDP of St. Louis’ manufacturing industry and its distribution industry have both increased by a factor of 33%—underscoring St. Louis’ locational advantages for these industries. These statistics show that the region produces higher value goods per person than peer regions across the Midwest and they showcase the value proposition of the St. Louis regional manufacturing and distribution workforce. Analysis shows that over the past 10 years, for every new resident arriving in the St. Louis MSA, the overall economy added more than $2.3 million to its GDP. Workers in the St. Louis region are more productive in relation to workers in peer regions, making St. Louis a premiere location for businesses needing skilled labor proficient in the manufacturing and distribution of high-value complex goods.
You can read more of the original article here.
