{"schema_version": 1, "id": "cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 126, "label": "Cedar Rapids, IA MSA", "slug": "cedar-rapids-ia-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-09", "public_after": "2026-09-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T13:38:31.713983+00:00", "headline": "Cedar Rapids splits: data-center trades boom, logistics sector contracts.", "headline_summary": "Cedar Rapids unemployment held at 3.7% in July versus 4.2% nationally, but electrician pay jumped to $83,200 even as a 49-worker logistics plant closure and statewide trade-sector job losses point to an uneven recovery.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Metro unemployment rate", "value": "3.7%", "context": "vs 4.2% national, down from 4.1% in June"}, {"label": "Electrician advertised pay", "value": "$83,200", "context": "Up significantly, vs $71,404 national median"}, {"label": "Iowa trade/transportation job losses", "value": "-5,200 jobs", "context": "Over past year, statewide (BLS/Iowa Workforce Dev.)"}, {"label": "NFI Interactive Logistics closure", "value": "49 workers", "context": "Cedar Rapids facility, closing by Sept. 30, 2026"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Data-center construction is the metro's clearest growth engine right now.", "body": "Electrician pay rose significantly to $83,200 and HVAC technician pay to $71,718, both outpacing national figures, tracking directly with reported data-center buildout in Linn County. This concentrated demand is also a likely driver of the area's faster-than-statewide rent increases, a cost pressure local officials should factor into economic development planning."}, {"headline": "Logistics and retail pay softness mirrors a statewide sector split, not a local anomaly.", "body": "Metro Delivery Driver and CDL Truck Driver pay both declined moderately, consistent with Iowa's trade/transportation sector shedding 5,200 jobs over the year. Combined with the NFI Interactive Logistics closure, this points to continued contraction in the metro's warehousing and freight segment even as construction expands."}, {"headline": "Local unemployment beating the national rate masks a labor-supply story, not a demand story.", "body": "Cedar Rapids' 3.7% unemployment compares favorably to the national 4.2%, but Iowa's statewide employed population is falling due to retirement outflows rather than job creation. Readers should treat a low jobless rate here as evidence of a tight, aging labor pool rather than confirmation of accelerating local hiring."}, {"headline": "Public-sector and healthcare pay movement signals where stability remains.", "body": "Registered Nurse pay rose significantly to $104,242 locally, consistent with Iowa's healthcare sector posting the state's strongest annual job gains. Combined with steady education-sector wage movement, this suggests public-facing and healthcare employment remains the metro's most dependable economic anchor amid softer trade and logistics activity."}], "local_conditions": "Cedar Rapids metro unemployment sat at 3.7% in July, well below the national 4.2% rate, even as the labor market absorbs offsetting signals: a data-center construction boom lifting local pay for electricians (up to $83,200) and HVAC technicians ($71,718), against a 49-worker closure at NFI Interactive Logistics and a smaller RTX reduction, both completing by September 30. Statewide, Iowa's labor force is contracting through retirement rather than layoffs \u2014 total employed Iowans down 7,500 year over year despite 60,378 open positions \u2014 a demographic pattern that appears to be replicating locally as construction and skilled-trades wage growth outpaces flat-to-declining retail and logistics pay.", "implications": "Divergence between construction/skilled-trades wage growth and softness in retail, logistics, and administrative pay (Administrative Assistant down, Retail Sales Associate down) suggests the metro's current expansion is concentrated in data-center and infrastructure-adjacent activity rather than broad-based consumer or office-sector growth. For commerce leaders evaluating local investment timing, the combination of sub-4% unemployment, a tightening skilled-trades labor pool, and uneven sector performance points to a metro economy that is resilient but narrowly so \u2014 strong in construction and healthcare, soft in trade/transportation. Current conditions suggest monitoring whether data-center-driven trades demand (electrician, HVAC) is pulling workers from adjacent sectors before drawing conclusions about overall labor supply tightness.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Worth watching", "body": "NFI Interactive Logistics' 49-worker closure completes by September 30; watch whether those workers surface in nearby warehouse/fulfillment postings or reflect a broader pullback in metro logistics capacity."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Rents in Cedar Rapids and Linn County are rising faster than the rest of Iowa, linked to data-center construction activity. Commerce leaders should track whether housing-cost pressure begins to affect the area's ability to draw workers for non-construction roles."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "The Novalex strike that began September 10 drew formal legislative attention from all 33 Iowa House Democrats; its resolution, and any spillover to other local labor actions, is worth monitoring as a gauge of broader labor relations sentiment in the metro."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Iowa's $2.1 billion unemployment insurance trust balance will enable the lowest possible employer tax rates in 2027, a modest but real cost tailwind for metro employers across sectors heading into next year's budget planning."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 23733.0, "metro_p50": 27984.0, "metro_p75": 31408.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 33325.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 25368.0, "metro_p50": 29572.8, "metro_p75": 30867.0, "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": 31963.5, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 40560.0, "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": 56960.0, "metro_p50": 78000.0, "metro_p75": 88500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 78000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28019.0, "metro_p50": 36112.0, "metro_p75": 44000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 34344.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 35704.5, "metro_p50": 42886.4, "metro_p75": 48880.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 40560.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 64731.0, "metro_p50": 83200.0, "metro_p75": 101920.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 32697.0, "metro_p50": 37009.0, "metro_p75": 39440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Customer Service Representative", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31499.25, "metro_p50": 36467.8, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "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": 26893.0, "metro_p50": 31657.6, "metro_p75": 32529.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 35324.0, "metro_p50": 41891.0, "metro_p75": 46688.75, "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": 35360.0, "metro_p50": 40635.0, "metro_p75": 45760.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 63500.0, "metro_p50": 71718.4, "metro_p75": 82347.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 70720.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 83026.0, "metro_p50": 104241.8, "metro_p75": 114453.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 102581.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 100000.0, "metro_p50": 132586.0, "metro_p75": 156000.0, "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": "metro", "metro_p25": 91434.0, "metro_p50": 127035.0, "metro_p75": 127170.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 139500.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57352.0, "metro_p50": 71706.4, "metro_p75": 79931.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 72182.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 71250.0, "metro_p50": 89486.4, "metro_p75": 95178.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 94782.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 53913.0, "metro_p50": 57500.0, "metro_p75": 60000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 46345.25, "metro_p50": 73527.8, "metro_p75": 82500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 62354.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 77041.5, "metro_p50": 96001.0, "metro_p75": 98767.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 31200.0, "metro_p50": 47806.0, "metro_p75": 55897.5, "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": 57000.0, "metro_p50": 80000.0, "metro_p75": 89263.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 92749.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 52500.0, "metro_p50": 60000.0, "metro_p75": 60000.0, "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": 79749.0, "metro_p50": 88870.0, "metro_p75": 109094.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 56675.5, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 71656.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 35837.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 64578.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 119256.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 73784.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 54816.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 62802.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 30886.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 65626.0, "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": "cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T13:49:11.523099+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/cedar-rapids-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}