{"schema_version": 1, "id": "augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 50, "label": "Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC MSA", "slug": "augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T07:25:05.641732+00:00", "headline": "Augusta wages outpace inflation as jobless rate hits 12-month low streak.", "headline_summary": "Augusta's private-sector earnings rose 11.6% year-over-year against 3.4% local inflation, even as the metro's 4.0% unemployment rate remains the highest among major Georgia metros against the state's 3.3%.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Augusta metro unemployment", "value": "4.0%", "context": "vs 3.3% Georgia, 4.1% national"}, {"label": "Private-sector weekly earnings", "value": "$1,321.49", "context": "up 11.6% YoY vs 3.4% local inflation"}, {"label": "Metro labor market index", "value": "+1.2% YoY", "context": "12 consecutive months of expansion"}, {"label": "Georgia initial jobless claims", "value": "15,874", "context": "50-year low, down 953 in a month"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Augusta wages are outrunning inflation while the nation's are not.", "body": "Private-sector weekly earnings rose 11.6% year-over-year against 3.4% local inflation, a gap that contrasts sharply with the national pattern where median weekly earnings grew just 1.5% against 3.5% CPI. That divergence is a differentiator for the metro's economic narrative and worth highlighting in any regional comparison."}, {"headline": "A twelfth straight month of labor market expansion signals durable momentum.", "body": "Augusta's labor market index has now expanded for a full year, with labor force, employment and total jobs all rising in September. A twelve-month run suggests structural improvement in the local economy."}, {"headline": "Augusta's jobless rate still trails the rest of Georgia despite the gains.", "body": "At 4.0%, Augusta's unemployment rate remains the highest among major Georgia metros and nearly a full point above the state's 3.3% rate. Progress is evident, but the gap with Atlanta, Savannah and other metros has not closed, which matters for any comparative pitch to employers or investors weighing locations."}, {"headline": "Manufacturing and delivery-driver pay softness complicates the recovery story.", "body": "Metro manufacturing production worker pay and delivery driver pay are both trending down even as broader metro earnings climb, pointing to uneven conditions across the goods-movement and production economy. A headline wage gain can mask sector-level softness that matters for diversified regional economic planning."}], "local_conditions": "Augusta metro unemployment fell to 4.0% in September, with the labor force expanding by 2,064 and total jobs reaching 253,800 \u2014 a twelfth straight month of growth in the metro's broader labor market index. Private-sector weekly earnings climbed to $1,321.49 in August, up 11.6% year-over-year against 3.4% local inflation, a wage gain that outpaces the real-wage erosion seen nationally and sets Augusta apart from the national pattern of pay trailing prices.", "implications": "Augusta's combination of falling unemployment, rising labor force participation, and wages outpacing local inflation points to an economy adding capacity, a distinction that matters for anyone assessing whether this is a market to expand operations or investment in. The metro's unemployment rate still sits above the state average and WalletHub's job-seeker ranking signals friction that coexists with the headline improvement, suggesting the recovery is real but uneven across sectors and skill levels. Commerce leaders evaluating expansion or site-selection pitches should consider pairing the metro's earnings and labor-force growth story with context on where that growth is concentrated, alongside the headline unemployment figure.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Expected", "body": "October BLS data for the Augusta MSA was delayed by the federal data reporting gap; watch for the delayed release to confirm whether September's momentum carried into the fourth quarter."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Georgia's statewide labor force hit a record high for a ninth straight month in September, driven heavily by local and state government hiring; watch whether Augusta's public-sector employment \u2014 a traditional stabilizer for the metro \u2014 tracks that statewide trend or lags it."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "National WARN filings remain elevated (340,316 affected workers through late October) even as Georgia's filings stay comparatively modest; any new notices touching Augusta-area manufacturing or logistics, sectors that account for the bulk of the state's recent filings, would be a signal to watch given the metro's reliance on those sectors."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Augusta's unemployment rate has converged with the national 4.1% rate this year after historically running below it; continued convergence or a reversal over the next two reporting cycles will clarify whether the metro's current position marks a durable shift or a temporary alignment."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21662.0, "metro_p50": 27709.0, "metro_p75": 32192.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33340.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21840.0, "metro_p50": 24615.0, "metro_p75": 26023.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 31268.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 27248.0, "metro_p50": 34840.0, "metro_p75": 37927.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 38480.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 55380.0, "metro_p50": 80000.0, "metro_p75": 87500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 78872.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26701.0, "metro_p50": 31148.0, "metro_p75": 34941.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 34826.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 33280.0, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 51480.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 40726.6, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 53176.0, "metro_p50": 65657.8, "metro_p75": 72020.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 71835.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31200.0, "metro_p50": 35457.0, "metro_p75": 39531.0, "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": 30398.0, "metro_p50": 35360.0, "metro_p75": 36900.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Food Service Worker", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26520.0, "metro_p50": 32386.0, "metro_p75": 37372.25, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33764.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30160.0, "metro_p50": 34349.0, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 41600.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31605.0, "metro_p50": 38744.0, "metro_p75": 41600.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 44552.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 58555.0, "metro_p50": 62400.0, "metro_p75": 69680.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 71406.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 82008.0, "metro_p50": 93600.0, "metro_p75": 100336.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 102252.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 106439.0, "metro_p50": 142742.0, "metro_p75": 156000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 154403.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 114000.0, "metro_p50": 130096.8, "metro_p75": 140701.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 138000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 46900.0, "metro_p50": 59823.0, "metro_p75": 74613.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 72000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 90000.0, "metro_p50": 96391.0, "metro_p75": 100628.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 94646.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 42640.0, "metro_p50": 65090.8, "metro_p75": 71567.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 74477.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 41177.0, "metro_p50": 50731.0, "metro_p75": 57754.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 62916.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 67500.0, "metro_p50": 84405.4, "metro_p75": 92219.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 86294.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29681.0, "metro_p50": 51726.0, "metro_p75": 58115.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 55908.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 60700.0, "metro_p50": 80117.0, "metro_p75": 90000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 94009.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 57500.0, "metro_p50": 82500.0, "metro_p75": 95500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 82105.0, "metro_p50": 99217.8, "metro_p75": 117077.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 98302.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 63219.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 77677.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 34087.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 66118.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 84759.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 52942.5, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 84948.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 81120.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 29225.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 66461.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [{"source_name": "Augusta Business Daily", "source_url": null, "statement": "Augusta MSA unemployment fell to 4.0% in September 2026"}, {"source_name": "Augusta Business Daily", "source_url": null, "statement": "Private-sector weekly earnings rose 11.6% YoY to $1,321.49"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "National median weekly earnings rose 1.5% vs 3.5% CPI in Q3 2026"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Augusta unemployment highest among major Georgia MSAs"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Georgia labor force hit all-time high for ninth consecutive month"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Georgia initial jobless claims fell to 15,874, a 50-year low"}], "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": "November 2026", "files": {"html": "augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "pdf": "augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf", "sources_html": "augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:18:14.506045+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/augusta-richmond-county-ga-sc-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf"}