Points of Interest

Missouri University of &Technology One of the top technological research and engineering universities in the nation. Fort Leonard Wood A World Class Center of Joint Engineer Expertise. St. James, Missouri Rolla's small friendly neighbor to the East.

 

Workforce

The Phelps County Labor Market offers 4 unique features:

1. College Students and Graduates.  The Missouri University of Science and Technology attracts and graduates some of the brightest students in the world.  With some 80% of all graduate and undergraduate students in fields related to math and new technologies, this creates an atmosphere ideally suited for employers seeking workers to fill jobs requiring advanced technical skills.  Several employers are currently taking advantage of cooperative education programs – some have even decided to locate in Rolla.
2. Trailing Spouses of Professionals. Several regional public and private sector employers are in need of new opportunities for the spouses of new employees or prospective candidates for professional positions.
3. Fort Leonard Wood Retirees.  Fort Leonard Wood regularly retires men and women who would like to stay in the region.  The typical profile for such retiree is someone in their mid 40’s who is well trained and/or well educated for a variety of work challenges.  These retirees may also currently have, or qualify for, special security clearances.
4. Educational Attainment. The education level of the available workforce in Rolla/Phelps County is relatively high.  A 2005 survey showed 64.2% of available workers had, at least, some college credits; and, 96.8% had, at least, a high school diploma.

Labor Market Statistics as of July 2008 (click here for detailed report)

Labor Market Statistics as of July 2008	Workforce	Unemployment Rate
LMA (Including Phelps, Pulaski, Dent, Crawford, Gasconade, Texas & Maries Counties)	83,668	7.4%
Phelps County	21,440	6.6%
Detailed "Workforce Study" (PDF)

 

Phelps County Average Wage in 2007	Hourly pay
All industries	$14.56
Private industry only	$12.88

 

Top three Phelps County Major Employers	# Employees
Phelps County Regional Medical Center	1300
Walmart Distribution Center	900
Rolla Public Schools	569
Complete list of largest employers (PDF)