Cleveland outpaces Ohio, but wages still trail the nation.
1.104 million
Metro nonfarm employment
Highest since June 2019
$1,482
Metro average weekly wage
vs $1,654 U.S. average, Q1 2026
3.3%
Metro unemployment rate
June 2026, below 4.1% national rate
-95,000 workers
Ohio labor force change
Year over year through August 2026
This Month's Takeaways
01
Cleveland is Ohio's growth engine, but the comparison is relative.
PNC Economics identifies Cleveland as outperforming the state in job growth, and total nonfarm employment hit a seven-year high in June. That distinction matters most against a statewide backdrop of labor force contraction — Cleveland's advantage is partly a story of standing still less badly than peers, not uncomplicated expansion.
02
Wage levels still lag the national line despite employment gains.
Average weekly wages in the Cleveland metro ($1,482) sit roughly 10% below the U.S. average ($1,654) as of Q1 2026. Rising headcount without matching wage growth limits the consumer spending lift that typically accompanies a strengthening labor market.
03
Construction and manufacturing pay gains may reflect project-driven demand.
Construction laborer pay in the metro rose significantly this month and HVAC technician pay moved up moderately, consistent with statewide manufacturing and construction job growth tied to data-center and infrastructure buildout. Commerce leaders should watch whether this is a durable sectoral shift or a temporary project cycle before treating it as a permanent trend.
04
Healthcare wage strength stands apart from a cooling national pattern.
Registered Nurse pay in the metro rose significantly to $106,956, outpacing even the national median, while national data show overall wage growth slipping to its lowest annual rate since 2021. Cleveland's health system concentration — anchored by Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals — appears to be insulating a key sector from broader national wage softening.
Local Economic Conditions
Cleveland-Elyria metro employment reached 1.104 million in June 2026, its highest level since June 2019, with PNC Economics identifying Cleveland as outperforming Ohio statewide in job growth even as the state's labor force contracted by 95,000 workers over the past year. That contrast — a metro at a cyclical employment high inside a state losing labor force participants (Ohio's rate sits at 61.3% versus 61.6% nationally) — suggests Cleveland's momentum is currently driven more by local sector strength (manufacturing, construction, health services) than by a growing worker pool.
Open Threads in the Data
Metro-level job growth outpacing the state signals Cleveland currently holds a relative investment advantage within Ohio, particularly as construction and manufacturing activity statewide appears linked to data-center and infrastructure buildout that metro areas with available sites and skilled trades capacity are positioned to capture. At the same time, average weekly wages in Cleveland ($1,482) continue to trail the national average ($1,654), a gap that affects the metro's relative purchasing power and consumer spending capacity even as employment levels rise. Commerce leaders and economic development officials may want to track whether the metro's employment outperformance is translating into wage convergence with national levels, since job counts without wage growth tell an incomplete story about local economic health.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH MSA metro — median advertised pay, its recent trend, and the number of active postings behind each figure. Jobs are grouped for readability and are not the same as the 10 sector classifications on the next page. For additional job detail contact WageScape.
Retail Trade
| Retail Sales Associate |
$30,134 |
→ Stable |
8,667 |
| Retail Cashier |
$29,120 |
→ Stable |
4,121 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
3,151 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$82,481 |
↓ Moderate decline |
15,897 |
| Delivery Driver |
$34,723 |
→ Stable |
8,998 |
| Warehouse Manager |
$67,000 |
→ Stable |
61 |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$41,600 |
↑ Significant increase |
812 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$73,861 |
→ Stable |
4,494 |
| HVAC Technician |
$67,500 |
↑ Moderate increase |
411 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$38,480 |
→ Stable |
2,576 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$38,553 |
→ Stable |
2,905 |
| Operations Manager |
$83,820 |
↑ Significant increase |
14 |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$29,458 |
↓ Significant decline |
562 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
4,508 |
| Registered Nurse |
$106,956 |
↑ Significant increase |
26,397 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$42,640 |
↑ Moderate increase |
2,426 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$121,152 |
→ Stable |
1,852 |
| Data Engineer |
$123,814 |
↑ Moderate increase |
702 |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$72,266 |
↑ Moderate increase |
1,780 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$65,238 |
→ Stable |
540 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$65,000 |
↑ Significant increase |
191 |
| Business Analyst |
$94,298 |
↑ Moderate increase |
916 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$86,617 |
→ Stable |
696 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$44,413 |
↑ Significant increase |
8,870 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$89,333 |
↑ Moderate increase |
1,714 |
Industry Snapshot · Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH MSA
Advertised pay and job-posting trends across the whole metro economy, rolled up by employer industry — not just the bellwether roles above.
| Sector |
Median Pay Change |
Job Postings Change |
| Construction |
↑ +4.7% |
↑ +17.9% |
| Manufacturing |
↑ +9.9% |
↑ +10.8% |
| Retail Trade |
↑ +6.7% |
→ +1.7% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↑ +9.8% |
→ −3.0% |
| Information |
↑ +25.3% |
↑ +19.4% |
| Financial Activities |
↑ +13.6% |
↑ +32.0% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +14.8% |
↑ +8.0% |
| Education & Health Services |
↑ +17.6% |
→ +2.5% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
→ 0.0% |
↑ +6.0% |
| Government |
↑ +23.2% |
↓ −29.5% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Expected
September 2026 BLS unemployment data for the Cleveland-Elyria MSA should be released in early October, replacing the most recent official June figure of 3.3%. Government economists and commerce leaders will want this release to confirm whether metro employment momentum held through the summer or began converging with the state's slower August pace.
Emerging pressure point
Ohio recorded 18 WARN notices affecting 3,134 workers over the past 90 days, concentrated in manufacturing, transportation, and retail, though none of the largest filings (International Motors, Lowe's, SDH Services) are confirmed as Cleveland-metro specific. Tracking whether any of these notices touch Cuyahoga County directly will clarify whether the metro remains insulated from the state's manufacturing-sector layoff activity.
Worth watching
National wage growth has slowed to 3.0% annually against 3.4% inflation, the first sustained real-wage decline in two years. Whether Cleveland's locally strong sectors (healthcare, construction) can keep local wage growth ahead of inflation will shape near-term consumer spending capacity across the metro's retail and service economy.
Potential inflection point
Ohio's labor force shrank by 95,000 workers over the past year even as the unemployment rate fell, a pattern that reflects workers exiting the labor force rather than finding jobs. If this dynamic extends into the Cleveland metro's own labor force data, it would complicate the metro's current growth-leader narrative and warrants direct confirmation once county-level participation data updates.
Sources & Methodology
Pay and hiring data provided by WageScape. See every source cited in this report, with links →
Advertised pay reflects the pay ranges employers publish in active job postings in this metro, not survey or payroll data. Pay trends compare the current period with the prior period for the same metro and role. Sector figures group postings by the employer's industry classification; sectors with limited classified postings are marked as such rather than estimated. This briefing is independent of, and complements, official statistics from the BLS and state labor market information offices.
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