UM Extension: Clay County workforce growing but faces long-term tightening

Matt Pizult, a labor and workforce development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, told the Clay County Commission that while Clay County has grown since the 2020 census, demographic changes and retirements will tighten the available local workforce over the next decade. Pizult said Clay County’s population was “about 260,000 people” as of 2024 and that the county added roughly 11,000 residents since the 2020 census. He said regional employment is about 123,000 and the median household income is about $82,000. The nut graf: Pizult told commissioners that employers — including manufacturers and data centers that have recently located in the region — will face increasing competition for workers as baby boomers retire and the ratio of incoming workers to retirees declines. Pizult highlighted several local and regional…