Find a Job You Really Want In
At Zippia, we are dedicated to exploring the job landscape across the United States, highlighting both the best and worst places to find employment.
In this article, we turn our focus to the cities in Missouri that offer the least favorable job prospects as we head into 2026. While many regions are thriving post-pandemic, some cities struggle to regain their footing.
These areas lack the essential qualities that typically lead to career advancement and job satisfaction.
After analyzing data from the 100 largest cities in Missouri, we identified the ten worst cities for job seekers:
- Kaw Township
- St. Louis
- Blue Township
- Raytown
- Washington Township Jackson
- Brooking Township
- Kansas City
- Cape Girardeau
- Grandview
- Cape Girardeau Township
Continue reading to discover how we arrived at these rankings.
For more insights into Missouri’s job market, check out:
- Top 100 Highest Paying Jobs in St. Louis
- Top 100 Highest Paying Jobs in Missouri
- Top 100 Largest Companies in Missouri
Methodology for Identifying the Worst Job Markets in Missouri
Our analysis focused on cities with populations exceeding 5,000, resulting in 100 cities under consideration.
We ranked each location based on several criteria, with a scale where 1 represents the worst ranking in each category.
The cities were then averaged across all metrics, with the lowest overall score designated as the “Worst City in Missouri for Job Seekers.”
The evaluation criteria included:
1. Kaw Township
Population: 170,718 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.40%
2. St. Louis
Population: 318,527 Recent Job Growth: -0.26%
Projected Job Growth: 31.30%
3. Blue Township
Population: 157,493 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.40%
4. Raytown
Population: 29,486 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.00%
5. Washington Township Jackson
Population: 72,592 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.40%
6. Brooking Township
Population: 77,206 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.40%
7. Kansas City
Population: 459,772 Recent Job Growth: -0.32%
Projected Job Growth: 32.70%
8. Cape Girardeau
Population: 37,982 Recent Job Growth: -1.93%
Projected Job Growth: 30.50%
9. Grandview
Population: 24,491 Recent Job Growth: -0.31%
Projected Job Growth: 32.80%
10. Cape Girardeau Township
Population: 40,347 Recent Job Growth: -1.94%
Projected Job Growth: 30.60%
Conclusion: A Call for Improvement
Based on our analysis, Kaw Township ranks as the most challenging city for job seekers in Missouri.
While the overall economy shows signs of recovery and job creation across various sectors, these cities continue to face significant hurdles. It is our hope that they can implement effective strategies to improve their job markets and provide better opportunities for residents.
Complete List of the Worst Places to Get a Job in Missouri
| City | Rank |
|---|---|
| Kaw Township | 1 |
| St. Louis | 2 |
| Blue Township | 3 |
| Raytown | 4 |
| Washington Township Jackson | 5 |
| Brooking Township | 6 |
| Kansas City | 7 |
| Cape Girardeau | 8 |
| Grandview | 9 |
| Cape Girardeau Township | 10 |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
