jobs

The youth labor force always grows during summer months, but for teenagers, data show it's becoming increasingly hard to find a summer job in Missouri.

Some immigrants in Kansas City are changing their work hours and shifting other parts of their daily routine to avoid encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A new study found last year’s surge of immigration enforcement resulted in nearly 8,000 jobs lost in Kansas City.

Immigrant communities fearful of expanding ICE enforcement are changing how they work and function in society. Their decisions are having broad economic impact.

The April 2026 Missouri Jobs Report has seasonally adjusted unemployment at 3.8%, down slightly from March and the same time last year. But national economic strain may shrink the entertainment and leisure industries, threatening summer jobs for teenagers.

Motivated young people seeking a first time job are encountering a “low-hire, low-fire” job market in Kansas City and beyond.

Sincere Davis, a Kansas City high school junior with an intellectual disability, used to doubt that she’d be able to achieve her passion. The Transition Academy offered her job training and connected her with a media internship, as she pursues her career goals of making documentaries.

The Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council wants the Port Authority of Kansas City to pass rules that ensure workers on projects funded by the port will earn a good wage and be part of work training programs.

An increasing number of Kansas City families have jobs but still need shelter or assistance, due to the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing. It’s a formula for rising homelessness.

As job creation slowed through most of 2025, Midwestern college graduates — and those approaching graduation — describe a competitive, unusual job market that makes them question their self-worth.

Sen. Josh Hawley says his bill will track layoffs attributed to replacing workers with AI. A St. Louis expert says "the great AI replacement" could lead to millions of people losing their jobs.

It typically takes six months to find your first job, and for May graduates that milestone is almost here. Recent unemployment data suggests a tightening job market caused by economic uncertainty. Please fill out our survey (below) to share your experience.

Kansas City’s Transition Center has trained experts in conflict resolution, job training and wellness. Classes are giving hope to an increasing number of repeat offenders that they can make long-term changes and stay out of prison.