A study conducted for the Delta Regional Authority says that 90% of the new jobs created in the region over the past 20 years were at small businesses.

The report "Jobs and Small Businesses" classified small businesses as those with nine employees or fewer. The study also noted that manufacturing jobs suffered a steep decline.

According to the report, local small businesses created 58,000 new jobs since 1992 while non-resident and non-commercial business establishments eliminated nearly 368,000 jobs.

The study was conducted by James Stapleton at the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University.