There are a lot of reasons to look at the glass as half-empty when it comes to the economy. Inflation is raging and employers are still practically begging people to apply for jobs. Meanwhile, our country is facing serious supply-chain issues that are preventing products from getting on the shelves.
CNN Business recently reported data shows Americans haven't felt this bad about the economy in a decade.
But there are a couple of reasons to be encouraged here in Jefferson City and around the state.
First, Jefferson City has a red-hot housing market. The Jefferson City area was ranked fifth nationally for emerging housing markets, according to a recent KOMU-TV report.
The metro area consists of Cole, Callaway, Osage and Moniteau counties. The top four emerging housing markets are Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana; Rapid City, South Dakota; Topeka, Kansas; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
The TV station quoted Realtor Ashley Pederson as saying she's seen a rise in out-of-state buyers and the average time for a house on the market has decreased from about 60 days last year to about 24 days this year.
Missouri is holding its own on the economy as well. Last week, as we reported, Gov. Mike Parson told business leaders the state's economy is "rocking" and passage of the $1.2 billion federal infrastructure bill is going to create "tremendous opportunities" for the state.
"I don't like everything going on in Washington, D.C., and a lot of you people in this room won't either," Parson said. "But, there are going to be a lot of opportunities for a lot of businesses in this state. We're going to have opportunities to do things in infrastructure that we've never been able to do before."
We also expect the governor's focus on workforce development will pay off for Missouri, adding to the economy. About 70 percent of Missourians don't have a college degree, so it makes sense to focus on workforce development.
Two programs will help: Fast Track Incentive Grant - intended to entice workers older than 25 to continue their educations, and Missouri One Start - another program intended to "upskill" workers.
Yes, there are reasons to be down on the economy. But here in Missouri, and particularly Jefferson City, there are reasons to feel blessed as Thanksgiving approaches.
News Tribune