By STL Partnership Events across the region May 25th is Africa Day, a day that commemorates the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and celebrates African culture and people. The OAU was superseded by the African Union (AU) in 2002. The AU, comprised of 55 member states, promotes the participation of African citizens in driving political and economic goals across the continent. Not only does the organization drive economic development, but it also maintai

By USA Facts Immigrants were 7.2% of employed workers in the St. Louis, MO area in 2024. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, including those who became US citizens, are authorized to work in the US, or are undocumented residents. Read about it here.

By St. Louis Business Journal Story Highlights St. Louis employers struggle to fill specialized roles as experienced workers retire and domestic talent shrinks. International students graduating from regional universities possess work authorization and in-demand skills but remain largely unhired. The St. Louis Mosaic Project connected 10 regional employers with 12 international interns in its first year. Across the country — and in St. Louis — employers are facing a growing c

By St. Louis Business Journal While immigration has been a political flashpoint in recent years, new data shows metro-level economic growth has been strongest in communities with rising foreign-born populations. That’s according to findings from Brookings Institution’s annual Metro Monitor research, which analyzed how economic growth among the nation’s largest metropolitan areas related to changes in their share of foreign-born, working-age population over a decade . Accordin

By MSN St. Louis, MO (KMOX) - New population estimates released from the U.S. Census Bureau show significant growth in Asian and Latino populations in the 15 county St. Louis area. "This is what's going to happen probably over the next two decades as these populations continue to grow," says Ness Sandoval, Professor of Sociology and Demography, Saint Louis University, "they're going to be the two populations that will make up the majority of the growth." Sandoval adds, the g

By National Today Local organization Mosaic Project works to connect businesses with international talent amid workforce shortages and misperceptions about hiring process St. Louis is facing a workforce shortage, but thousands of international students and workers in the region are already authorized to work. Many employers still assume the hiring process is too complicated. The Mosaic Project, a local organization, is working to connect businesses with international talent t

By First 4 Alert ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Louis is facing a workforce crunch, but thousands of international students and workers in the region are already authorized to work. Many employers still assume the hiring process is too complicated. The Mosaic Project, a local organization, is working to connect businesses with international talent that is ready to work now. David Amelotti: St. Louis and really the entire country right now is dealing with workforce shor

S econd annual International Hiring Challenge offers employers one practical entry point into a broader international talent pipeline The St. Louis Mosaic Project (Mosaic) is calling greater attention to the role of global talent in strengthening the St. Louis region’s workforce, competitiveness and long-term economic growth, while launching the second year of its International Hiring Challenge as one practical way for employers to begin engaging that talent pipeline. As empl

By Post Dispatch St. Louis, like much of the country, is feeling the effects of a plunge in international arrivals amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, slowing recent gains in regional population growth and portending population loss in coming years. The St. Louis region still managed to grow last year, adding a little more than 3,000 residents to bring its estimated population to 2,814,421, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this week. That

By St. Louis Business Journal Big St. Louis Ideas: A bold plan to make St. Louis a Latino landing spot There is a noted exodus out of St. Louis — and more specifically, downtown — that has the city running on fumes. There are a number of reasons for this and most of them aren’t worth getting into in great detail. But they include fear of the urban core by suburban and nearby rural residents, an historical unwillingness by the city and regional governments to invest in downtow

By NASFA Washington, D.C. -- Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced that eight U.S. universities and colleges have been selected to receive a 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the awards celebrate outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization. “We are pleased to honor the achievements of eight institutions that have distinguished themselves as

By St. Louis Public Radio- Hiba Ahmad East St. Louis School District 189 is turning to qualified international teachers to help fill critical staff vacancies. The district brought on a dozen teachers at the start of the 2025-26 school year and plans to add 12 more for the next school year. The teachers represent a small portion of the approximately 570 teachers across the district. The district joins the Normandy Schools Collaborative, Riverview Gardens and St. Louis Public S

Suzanne Sierra, Blake Hamilton share how newcomers are adjusting to life in St. Louis On Jan. 20, the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative that is professionally managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, World Trade Center St. Louis and a 32 Member Steering Committee, hosted an STL 101 information session, called “Supporting Our International Community.” The session, which took place on Zoom, was co-hosted by Suzanne Sierra, executive director of t

St. Louis joins a network of more than 75 communities that have participated in the initiative since it launched in 2016. The City of St. Louis has been selected to be part of the Gateways for Growth (G4G) [ gatewaysforgrowth.org ] program through the American Immigration Council [ www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org ] and Welcoming America [ welcomingamerica.org ], two national nonprofits working to support immigrant inclusion in communities across the country. As part

In September 2025, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an updated projection for net immigration, forecasting that the immigrant population age 16 and older would grow by 408,000 in 2025. However, according to Current Population Survey data, the U.S. immigrant population age 16 and older fell by 1.86 million people between January and November 2025—dropping from 50.40 million to 48.54 million. This decline was entirely concentrated among non-naturalized immigrants.

Report highlights economic development across the St. Louis region The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership has released its 2025 end of year report, highlighting a year of progress supporting business growth and regional vitality across St. Louis City and County. The report outlines key accomplishments from each division of STL Partnership, including business development, business retention and expansion, business finance, strategic initiatives, the St. Louis Mosaic Pr

International Mentoring St. Louis merges into World Trade Center St. Louis. The nonprofit matched 790 mentors with foreign-born women from 85 countries. International Mentoring St. Louis transfers $268,900 fund balance by year-end. A nonprofit group is merging into the World Trade Center St. Louis to become part of its Mosaic Project , which informs the community about the impact that a foreign-born population can make for the region’s overall growth. International Mentoring

Strategic union creates synergies to support global talent, strengthen international growth Two of St. Louis’ leading organizations dedicated to attracting and retaining international professionals to the region and enhancing its global reputation and footprint announced today that they are joining forces to better support global talent and strengthen international growth. The World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC) board of directors has formally approved bringing International

The St. Louis region is home to a powerful yet often overlooked asset: international talent ready to drive innovation, productivity, and growth. Hear from the St. Louis Mosaic Project and a local manufacturer about the positive impact international hires have had on their operations and culture. You’ll gain practical insights, resources, and a clear roadmap to tap into this high-potential talent pipeline. Watch Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fnk9Du3sr4