Missouri’s port system brings in $15 billion in labor income annually

Port authorities have been sprouting up along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers as communities attempt to make the most out of navigation.

Levi Woods, Freight and Waterways Administrator for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said Missouri's port system has a significant impact on the state's economy.

"Missouri public ports support nearly 290,000 jobs annually in the state of Missouri," he told Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph. "That results in roughly $15.7 billion in labor income and over $100 million in annual economic activity."

Woods said approximately 34% of Missouri's economy, one out of every 10 jobs in Missouri, is supported by Missouri ports. While the Mississippi has long been a major river for barge traffic, the Missouri is becoming more of a player, according to Woods, due to increased reliability.

The state has added two more port authorities to the 17 it already had, in order to better handle barge traffic on both rivers. Woods said upgrades made by the Army Corps of Engineers have made both rivers easier to navigate.

"I think the reliability has been some of the concerns of the shippers on the river, so the work they're doing to increase resiliency, I think, is much appreciated by the navigation community," he said.

Brent Martin, of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph, contributed this report.

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