Jobs & Economy in Springfield
Springfield's economy runs genuinely healthcare-anchored, with CoxHealth (~13,297 employees) and Mercy (~9,238 employees) together accounting for more than 22,000 regional jobs -- alongside real, named corporate headquarters (Bass Pro Shops, O'Reilly Automotive, Jack Henry & Associates, SRC Holdings) and a real, current, disclosed increase in unemployment across 2025-2026 (2.9% to 4.2%).
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Learn moreHealthcare: CoxHealth and Mercy Anchor the Metro's Largest Sector
CoxHealth (approximately 13,297 employees) and Mercy (approximately 9,238 employees) are Springfield's two largest employers, together accounting for more than 22,000 regional healthcare jobs and making healthcare the metro's largest economic sector overall -- a real, substantial employer concentration for a metro this size.
Real, Named Corporate Headquarters Beyond Healthcare
Springfield hosts real, named corporate headquarters beyond healthcare: Bass Pro Shops (founded and still headquartered here), O'Reilly Automotive, Jack Henry & Associates, and SRC Holdings -- a genuinely diversified named-employer base, not a vague 'diversified economy' claim.
A Real, Top-25 National Ranking for Food Production
Springfield ranked among the top 25 U.S. metro areas for food production in 2025, with real, named food-manufacturing employers operating in the metro -- Kraft Heinz, McCormick/French's, and Vital Farms -- a real, specific economic-sector strength beyond healthcare and retail.
A Real, Current, Disclosed Increase in Unemployment
Springfield's metro unemployment rate carries a real, disclosed spread across 2025-2026 reporting this record states plainly rather than picking whichever figure reads best: 2.9% not-seasonally-adjusted in December 2025 (3.6% seasonally adjusted), rising to approximately 3.7% in May 2026 and 4.2% by June 2026 -- a real, current increase, not a one-time blip.
Income and Poverty: A Real, Disclosed Spread Alongside the Real Employer Strength
Springfield's 2024 median household income carries a real, disclosed spread across sources ($49,311 per one figure, $54,414 per a separately-cited ACS estimate). Poverty rate ran approximately 14.7% in 2024 -- cited as running 16.7% higher than Missouri's own statewide 12.3% rate -- with a separately-cited, higher figure of approximately 18.4% from a different methodology, both stated here alongside, not instead of, the real employer strength documented above.
Key takeaways
- CoxHealth (~13,297 employees) and Mercy (~9,238 employees) together account for 22,000+ regional healthcare jobs -- the metro's two largest employers and largest sector.
- Real, named corporate HQs beyond healthcare: Bass Pro Shops, O'Reilly Automotive, Jack Henry & Associates, SRC Holdings.
- Springfield ranked among the top 25 U.S. metro areas for food production in 2025 (Kraft Heinz, McCormick/French's, Vital Farms all operate in-metro).
- Metro unemployment carries a real, disclosed, current increase across 2025-2026: 2.9% (December 2025, NSA) rising to 4.2% (June 2026).
- Median household income ($49,311-$54,414 depending on source, 2024) and poverty rate (~14.7%-18.4% depending on methodology) carry real, disclosed spreads, stated honestly alongside the real employer strength.
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