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Health & Fitness

Wages Increase, Economy Expands Across St. Louis

What is the average weekly pay for employees in the St. Louis area? Plus, find out what areas of the economy are expanding, while others continue contracting.

Average wages increased in the St. Louis area.

The largest weekly average wage increase in Missouri was in the city of St. Louis, jumping 5.1 percent to $975 last year, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As reported by Missouri Journal, however, the number of employees in the city dropped by 0.9 percent to around 212,000 compared to 2010.

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The statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Labor released employment and wage data on the 323 largest counties across the country.

Since St. Louis is an independent city and does not belong to any particular county, it was included in the research as a county equivalent.

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Across St. Louis County, the average weekly wage climbed 1.3 percent to $924 last year.

The number of employees remained steady at 569,000 in the county.

In St. Charles County, the average weekly wage nudged up 0.3 percent to $710.

The number of employees in the county increased 2.1 percent to 125,000.

Jefferson County was not included in the research.

The average weekly wage for employees across Missouri increased 1.6 percent to $774 last year, compared to an increase in the average weekly wage of 3 percent to $891 across the country.

St. Louis Fed reports economic growth

The overall economy in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis district expanded at a "modest pace," according to the latest summary commonly referred to as the Beige Book.

Several manufacturers plan to open plants and expand operations in the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed district includes the eastern half of Missouri, along with portions of IllinoisIndianaKentuckyTennesseeMississippi and the entire state of Arkansas.

Business leaders in distribution, consulting, and health services also reported plans to expand operations and hire new workers, according to the anecdotal information, which is gathered by each of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank districts across the country and published eight times a year.

The Beige Book for the Eighth District referenced specific cities in regards to real estate activity.

Home sales were down 4 percent in St. Louis in November year-to-date compared to the same period during 2010. Single-family housing permits, meanwhile, plummeted 21 percent in St. Louis.

Commercial and industrial real estate activitiy was also slow, according to the St. Louis Fed.

Contacts in St. Louis reported continued limited construction.

Will the real estate sector turn around?

The next Beige Book is scheduled to be published Feb. 29.

By Brian R. Hookbrhook@missourijournal.com, (314) 482-7944

Hook is editor of Missouri Journal, which tracks the economy across the Show-Me State

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