{"schema_version": 1, "id": "anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 95, "label": "Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA", "slug": "anniston-oxford-al-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-09", "public_after": "2026-09-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T13:37:21.471060+00:00", "headline": "Anniston unemployment climbs as manufacturing pay cools, state diverges", "headline_summary": "Anniston-Oxford's 4.0% unemployment rate has pulled away from Alabama's 3.4% and last year's 3.0% local reading, even as construction and electrician pay fall locally while the state posts record manufacturing wages.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Metro unemployment rate", "value": "4.0%", "context": "vs 3.0% a year ago, 3.4% statewide"}, {"label": "Metro avg. hourly wage", "value": "$24.50", "context": "vs $33.54 national average (May 2025)"}, {"label": "Alabama WARN notices (2026)", "value": "2,162 workers", "context": "25 filings, concentrated in mfg/logistics"}, {"label": "National wage vs. inflation", "value": "3.0% vs 3.4%", "context": "Real wages declining, lowest since May 2021"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Anniston's jobless rate is diverging from the state, not tracking it.", "body": "Metro unemployment at 4.0% compares with Alabama's 3.4% and sits above last year's 3.0% local reading, a wider state-metro gap than typical. This points to localized softness \u2014 likely tied to manufacturing and construction pullback \u2014 rather than a statewide trend reaching Anniston."}, {"headline": "Blue-collar pay is falling even as the state sets wage records.", "body": "Construction laborer and electrician advertised pay in the metro are down moderately to significantly, while Alabama recorded record statewide construction and manufacturing weekly wages in July. That contrast suggests Anniston's production base is not participating in the state's manufacturing wage strength, a signal worth tracking for local investment decisions."}, {"headline": "Professional and health-sector pay strength offers a counterweight.", "body": "Registered nurse, accountant, and business analyst advertised pay are all up moderately to significantly in the metro, tracking national gains. This segment may be the more reliable gauge of underlying economic health for commerce leaders assessing where local demand is actually building."}, {"headline": "Administrative pay collapse looks like a local anomaly, not a trend.", "body": "Administrative assistant/office clerk advertised pay fell significantly to $17,160, a fraction of the $43,680 national median and out of step with every other white-collar category trending upward. Worth flagging as a data quality or classification issue before treating it as a genuine signal of local office-sector distress."}], "local_conditions": "Anniston-Oxford's unemployment rate sits at 4.0%, up from 3.0% a year earlier and well above the national 4.2% and Alabama's 3.4%, even as the metro's underlying wage structure remains well below national norms at $24.50 average hourly pay versus the $33.54 U.S. figure. Manufacturing and production occupations continue to anchor local activity \u2014 13.4% of area employment \u2014 while statewide construction and manufacturing wages hit record highs, a divergence that appears to reflect uneven sector momentum rather than broad-based tightening.", "implications": "Rising joblessness alongside flat-to-declining advertised pay in core local occupations \u2014 construction laborer, manufacturing assembler, electrician all trending down \u2014 suggests softening demand in the metro's traditional production base even as healthcare, accounting, and technical roles post solid advertised-pay gains. Commerce leaders weighing expansion or investment decisions should treat this as a bifurcated market: stabilizing in professional and health-adjacent segments, cooling in manufacturing and construction. Consider evaluating sector-specific conditions before drawing metro-wide conclusions about business climate, since aggregate unemployment figures mask this split.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Anniston's unemployment gap versus the state and national rate has widened year over year. Watch whether October data shows this stabilizing or continuing to diverge, which would indicate a more structural local slowdown rather than a one-month anomaly."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Alabama recorded 25 WARN notices and 2,162 affected workers in 2026 concentrated in manufacturing and logistics, including a Resolute Forest Products closure in Coosa Pines. Local economic development leaders should monitor whether similar notices surface in Calhoun County given the metro's manufacturing concentration."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, eroding real purchasing power broadly. Local commerce leaders should watch whether this national squeeze shows up in Anniston retail and consumer-facing advertised pay, where several roles already show softening."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Prime-age labor force participation in Alabama held flat at 79.5%, suggesting no fresh wave of workforce re-entry statewide. Track whether Anniston's labor force count moves in the next release, since a shrinking local labor force alongside rising unemployment would point to population or discouragement effects rather than pure demand weakness."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21709.0, "metro_p50": 25725.6, "metro_p75": 27040.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33325.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 22582.0, "metro_p50": 24100.0, "metro_p75": 24702.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 31200.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28869.5, "metro_p50": 33530.0, "metro_p75": 35880.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 38000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57200.0, "metro_p50": 75831.2, "metro_p75": 83498.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 78000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29504.5, "metro_p50": 35100.0, "metro_p75": 38350.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 34344.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29120.0, "metro_p50": 29120.0, "metro_p75": 31200.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 40560.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 48537.0, "metro_p50": 58831.0, "metro_p75": 66009.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 71404.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 22926.5, "metro_p50": 33217.0, "metro_p75": 33280.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Customer Service Representative", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30670.0, "metro_p50": 36889.0, "metro_p75": 37500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Food Service Worker", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26839.75, "metro_p50": 36920.0, "metro_p75": 37117.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 27622.0, "metro_p50": 34609.0, "metro_p75": 36400.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 41106.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 17160.0, "metro_p50": 17160.0, "metro_p75": 29120.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 53675.5, "metro_p50": 64528.4, "metro_p75": 70720.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 70720.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 81120.0, "metro_p50": 93590.0, "metro_p75": 98563.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 102581.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 105123.0, "metro_p50": 150463.0, "metro_p75": 163407.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 153652.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 99196.0, "metro_p50": 139460.0, "metro_p75": 158334.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 139500.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 57800.25, "metro_p50": 70098.0, "metro_p75": 77500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 72182.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 71895.0, "metro_p50": 92000.0, "metro_p75": 101712.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 94782.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 53128.5, "metro_p50": 75241.2, "metro_p75": 83629.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 43367.0, "metro_p50": 57285.0, "metro_p75": 69020.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 62354.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 55900.0, "metro_p50": 71778.6, "metro_p75": 78593.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 85216.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26000.0, "metro_p50": 55000.0, "metro_p75": 62085.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 56731.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 41801.5, "metro_p50": 84310.0, "metro_p75": 85318.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 92749.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 49567.75, "metro_p50": 58928.0, "metro_p75": 82500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 81235.0, "metro_p50": 97933.0, "metro_p75": 109998.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 47624.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 52662.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 37347.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 62400.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 59400.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 50634.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 83780.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 69014.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 29703.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 64839.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [], "methodology": "Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay.", "edition_label": "October 2026", "files": {"html": "anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T13:48:04.586520+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/anniston-oxford-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}