Missouri created more jobs last year than all our ‘right-to-work’ neighbors

This is not a message getting through to Gov. Greitens

By ED FINKELSTEIN

Publisher

If Governor Eric Greitens wanted more proof that “right-to-work” has little impact on job creation, he only has to look at the latest job stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: year-to-year in November, Missouri created more jobs than ALL seven of our RTW neighboring states and even Illinois, our only non-RTW neighbor.

In fact, the Jefferson City News Tribune reported that Missouri’s creation of 57,100 new jobs during the past 12 months through November ranked Missouri in the top 10 states nationwide for new jobs created.

Here are the numbers:

Missouri’s 57,100 new jobs were more than Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa and Arkansas combined (44,500).

Two RTW neighbors – Kansas and Oklahoma, lost jobs.

In making the jobs growth announcement as one of his last official acts, then Governor Jay Nixon said, “Over the last eight years, we’ve cut our unemployment rate in half, revitalized our manufacturing industry and made Missouri an internationally-recognized center of high-tech innovation and entrepreneurship.”

“This report showing Missouri leading the region in job growth is more proof that hard work pays off. By balancing budgets and making smart investments in our students and workers, we’ve positioned Missouri to compete and win in the global economy,” Nixon stressed.

“The facts are yet another poke-in-the-eye to RTW supporters who cherry pick statistics to try and prove that RTW states outperform worker-friendly states,” said St. Louis Labor Council President Pat White.

“RTW supporters tell the big lie over and over that having a RTW law is a key factor for companies looking to relocate. It’s simply not true. Year after year, surveys of site selection consultants show that RTW is NOT even in their top 10 criteria. Availability of skilled labor, energy costs, highway accessibility and others top the list, but NOT ‘right-to-work.’

“I’m sure Gov. Greitens is not getting that message, but he should look at all the factors before making a decision that will ultimately hurt the paychecks of more than 300,000 union families in Missouri,” White added.