{"schema_version": 1, "id": "binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 110, "label": "Binghamton, NY MSA", "slug": "binghamton-ny-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T07:27:11.144236+00:00", "headline": "Binghamton wages climb as unemployment rises in tandem.", "headline_summary": "Broome County unemployment reached 4.5% in July, up from 3.5% a year earlier, even as average weekly wages grew 2.8% to $1,242 \u2014 a split that bears watching alongside national wage growth of 4.1%.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Broome County unemployment", "value": "4.5%", "context": "Up from 3.5% a year earlier (May 2025)"}, {"label": "Average weekly wage growth", "value": "2.8%", "context": "$1,242/week, Q1 2026, vs. 4.1% national wage growth"}, {"label": "Manufacturing employment", "value": "10,000 jobs", "context": "Broome County, seasonally adjusted, June 2026"}, {"label": "New York State unemployment", "value": "4.3%", "context": "September 2026, vs. 4.1% national rate"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Unemployment and wages are rising together \u2014 an unusual pairing.", "body": "Broome County's jobless rate climbed a full percentage point year-over-year to 4.5% in July while average weekly wages grew 2.8%, a combination that typically signals labor-force churn rather than broad-based economic strength. Commerce leaders should treat this as a signal to watch local spending data closely rather than assume rising wages alone indicate a tightening market."}, {"headline": "Manufacturing pay softness diverges from national stability.", "body": "Metro manufacturing production worker pay moved down moderately to a $35,360 median, well below the stable national median of $39,520, even as national manufacturing employment grew by roughly 9,000 jobs in September. Local wage softness amid national sector stability suggests the Binghamton manufacturing base may be facing company-specific or regional headwinds rather than an industry-wide downturn."}, {"headline": "Healthcare pay strength confirms the sector's anchor role.", "body": "Registered Nurse pay held stable at a metro median of $105,820, above the national median of $102,252, consistent with healthcare's position as the region's most consistent employment driver alongside Guthrie and UHS. This stability offers a reliable baseline for assessing the health of the broader local labor market even as other sectors soften."}, {"headline": "Accountant and Account Manager pay gains hint at local business formation.", "body": "Accountant pay rose significantly to a $77,886 metro median and Account Manager pay rose significantly to $90,000, both outpacing their national counterparts in direction if not always in level. Movement of this kind in professional-services pay often tracks new business activity or expanding commercial operations, worth cross-referencing against local business registration data."}], "local_conditions": "Broome County unemployment drifted to 4.5% in July 2026, up from 3.5% a year earlier, even as average weekly wages rose 2.8% year-over-year to $1,242 in the first quarter, a divergence that points to softening labor demand alongside persistent wage pressure in healthcare and skilled trades. Guthrie and United Health Services remain the region's most visible advertisers for talent, while last year's Sodexo WARN notice at Binghamton University \u2014 largely absorbed by incoming vendor Chartwells \u2014 illustrates how contract transitions can reshuffle local employment without reducing the area's overall job count.", "implications": "Rising unemployment alongside wage growth above the metro's historical pace suggests a labor market cooling unevenly \u2014 manufacturing and clerical pay are softening locally while healthcare and skilled-trades compensation holds firm, a split that commerce leaders should factor into any read on consumer spending capacity across different parts of the local workforce. Public-sector and healthcare stability continue to anchor the metro's employment base even as private manufacturing wages (down moderately per local advertised-pay data) lag the national trend of modest gains. Local economic development groups may want to track whether wage softening in manufacturing and logistics roles reflects a broader pullback in regional freight and production activity, or a narrower adjustment tied to specific employers.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Worth watching", "body": "November's BLS release will bring the first official October unemployment read for Broome County; a continued climb above 4.5% would confirm the mid-year softening rather than a seasonal blip."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Manufacturing and logistics pay (Manufacturing Production Worker, Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate, CDL Truck Driver) are all moving down locally while holding stable or rising nationally \u2014 a pattern that merits tracking against any announced production or distribution changes among the metro's larger employers."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "New York's statewide minimum wage freeze, triggered by job losses through July, creates a policy backdrop economic development leaders should monitor for how it interacts with Broome County's own soft labor market in coming months."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Healthcare and public-sector employment have anchored the region through past downturns; any softening in advertised pay for Registered Nurse or Certified Nursing Assistant roles, currently stable to down moderately, would be a meaningful signal of broader local economic stress."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30637.0, "metro_p50": 34320.0, "metro_p75": 35776.0, "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": 32902.0, "metro_p50": 34320.0, "metro_p75": 35360.0, "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": 33280.0, "metro_p50": 37612.0, "metro_p75": 40560.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 38480.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57554.0, "metro_p50": 83200.0, "metro_p75": 96000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 78872.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 32564.0, "metro_p50": 35643.4, "metro_p75": 43472.0, "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": 35741.25, "metro_p50": 41600.0, "metro_p75": 42380.0, "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": 63187.0, "metro_p50": 70782.0, "metro_p75": 70782.0, "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": 33452.25, "metro_p50": 35360.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "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": 35942.0, "metro_p50": 41600.0, "metro_p75": 41652.0, "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": 32027.0, "metro_p50": 35360.0, "metro_p75": 36920.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 33764.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 36894.0, "metro_p50": 42120.0, "metro_p75": 45240.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 41600.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37440.0, "metro_p50": 41600.0, "metro_p75": 47665.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 44552.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 59069.0, "metro_p50": 66321.0, "metro_p75": 68640.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 71406.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 91520.0, "metro_p50": 105820.0, "metro_p75": 116396.75, "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": 72500.0, "metro_p50": 120000.0, "metro_p75": 132300.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 154403.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 78786.5, "metro_p50": 78966.0, "metro_p75": 78967.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 138000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 61806.25, "metro_p50": 77886.2, "metro_p75": 80475.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 72000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 71815.0, "metro_p50": 76331.0, "metro_p75": 80268.75, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94646.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 53699.0, "metro_p50": 55973.0, "metro_p75": 60040.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 74477.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 45127.25, "metro_p50": 59170.0, "metro_p75": 70338.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 62916.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 70618.0, "metro_p50": 88240.0, "metro_p75": 100600.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 86294.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 34320.0, "metro_p50": 44030.0, "metro_p75": 55750.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 55908.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 72500.0, "metro_p50": 90000.0, "metro_p75": 98498.75, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94009.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 44912.75, "metro_p50": 72171.6, "metro_p75": 75063.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 78881.5, "metro_p50": 93486.0, "metro_p75": 93486.0, "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": 49920.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 106244.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 36974.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 43160.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 55011.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 49795.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 49798.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 61757.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 34320.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 68313.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [{"source_name": "New York State Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Broome County unemployment rate reached 4.5% in July 2026"}, {"source_name": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Broome County average weekly wage was $1,242 in Q1 2026, up 2.8% YoY"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "National manufacturing employment added ~9,000 jobs in September 2026"}, {"source_name": "Spectrum Local News", "source_url": null, "statement": "Sodexo WARN notice at Binghamton University, workers rehired by Chartwells"}, {"source_name": "Washington Post", "source_url": null, "statement": "New York minimum wage increase frozen due to statewide job losses"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "New York State unemployment rate was 4.3% in September 2026"}], "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": "binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "pdf": "binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf", "sources_html": "binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:18:46.230092+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/binghamton-ny-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf"}