{"schema_version": 1, "id": "columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 140, "label": "Columbus, GA-AL MSA", "slug": "columbus-ga-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": "2026-10-09T13:38:24.346915+00:00", "headline": "Columbus wages surge as the job base shrinks.", "headline_summary": "Muscogee County posted Georgia's largest wage gain at 6.8% even as its employment fell 2.1% year-over-year \u2014 the steepest decline among the state's major counties \u2014 while manufacturing added jobs and government payrolls fell 4.5%.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Muscogee County wage growth", "value": "6.8%", "context": "Largest gain among Georgia's major counties, Q1 2026"}, {"label": "Muscogee County employment change", "value": "-2.1%", "context": "Steepest decline among GA's 12 largest counties, Mar '25-'26"}, {"label": "Metro manufacturing employment", "value": "8,100 jobs", "context": "Up 3.6% year-over-year, Q1 2026"}, {"label": "Georgia unemployment rate", "value": "3.2%", "context": "0.9 pts below national 4.1% rate, August 2026"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Wage gains and job losses are telling different stories.", "body": "Muscogee County's 6.8% average weekly wage increase \u2014 the largest among major Georgia counties \u2014 arrived alongside a 2.1% over-the-year employment decline, the state's steepest. That combination is consistent with a smaller, more concentrated workforce rather than a metro-wide hiring boom, and commerce leaders should weight the employment trend as heavily as the wage headline when assessing local business climate."}, {"headline": "Manufacturing is the metro's one clear growth signal.", "body": "Manufacturing employment rose 3.6% year-over-year to 8,100 jobs in Q1 2026, standing apart from declines in government (-4.5%) and a slight dip in education/health services. Named local employers including Pratt & Whitney anchor this trend, making manufacturing capacity news the most useful near-term barometer of metro momentum."}, {"headline": "Public-sector contraction removes a historic stabilizer.", "body": "Government employment fell 4.5% locally even as Georgia's state government payrolls grew statewide (+3,200 in August), suggesting the drag is concentrated at the local or federal level within the metro rather than reflecting broader state trends. A metro long cushioned by military and public institution payrolls losing that ballast is a structural shift worth monitoring, not a one-month blip."}, {"headline": "National wage-inflation squeeze adds a layer of caution locally.", "body": "National average hourly earnings growth slowed to 3.0% in September against 3.4% inflation, marking the weakest real-wage picture since 2021; Georgia's statewide weekly wage growth of 2% similarly trails inflation. Even where Columbus-specific wages are rising, the state and national backdrop suggests local purchasing power gains may be more fragile than the county-level figure implies."}], "local_conditions": "Muscogee County's core employment base contracted 2.1% over the year to March 2026 \u2014 the steepest decline among Georgia's twelve largest counties \u2014 even as the county posted the state's largest average weekly wage gain at 6.8%, suggesting a shrinking but higher-paid workforce rather than broad-based expansion. Manufacturing bucked the trend, adding jobs to reach 8,100 (up 3.6% year-over-year), while government employment fell 4.5% and education/health services slipped slightly, pointing to a metro where sectoral gains are narrow and public-sector payroll is no longer a stabilizing force.", "implications": "Divergence between rising wages and falling headcount is consistent with a labor market working through fewer, better-compensated positions rather than net growth \u2014 a signal for commerce leaders to distinguish wage appreciation from genuine capacity expansion before reading local conditions as broadly favorable for investment. Government's 4.5% employment decline removes a traditionally stable payroll anchor in a metro historically reliant on public and quasi-public institutions (Fort Moore, TSYS successor operations, Pratt & Whitney), while manufacturing's gain offers the clearest evidence of real sector momentum. Current conditions suggest economic development leaders track manufacturing capacity announcements closely as the most reliable near-term growth indicator, rather than weighting county-wide wage figures alone.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Watch whether Muscogee County's employment decline persists into the next BLS county employment release (covering mid-2026). A continued drop alongside wage growth would reinforce a contraction-with-concentration pattern rather than a one-quarter anomaly."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Georgia's federal government employment fell 9,400 jobs over the year statewide; given Columbus's military and federal-adjacent presence, local federal payroll trends are worth tracking for spillover into the metro's broader public-sector employment figures."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "National WARN filings remain below 2025 levels (163,273 workers affected in 2026 vs. 261,814 a year prior), and Georgia's own WARN activity cooled to 17 filings last quarter from 33 prior. A sustained national pickup, led by sectors like retail or logistics, bears watching for Columbus given its warehouse/fulfillment and retail trade presence."}, {"category": "Expected", "body": "Q2 2026 county-level wage and employment data from BLS should arrive in the coming weeks, offering the first direct test of whether Muscogee's wage-employment divergence is deepening or beginning to normalize."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21235.75, "metro_p50": 26620.0, "metro_p75": 30699.75, "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": 21088.5, "metro_p50": 24960.0, "metro_p75": 27040.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 31200.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26268.0, "metro_p50": 34195.0, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 38000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 56540.0, "metro_p50": 78000.0, "metro_p75": 85460.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 78000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 27538.0, "metro_p50": 31185.0, "metro_p75": 33280.0, "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": 30913.0, "metro_p50": 38304.2, "metro_p75": 42594.75, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 40560.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 47840.0, "metro_p50": 61750.0, "metro_p75": 69894.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 71404.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30854.0, "metro_p50": 31818.0, "metro_p75": 32504.0, "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": 30081.0, "metro_p50": 33329.0, "metro_p75": 38000.0, "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": 26103.0, "metro_p50": 26862.0, "metro_p75": 30000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28080.0, "metro_p50": 33280.0, "metro_p75": 35360.0, "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": 32027.75, "metro_p50": 35467.0, "metro_p75": 37455.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 44775.0, "metro_p50": 63948.6, "metro_p75": 74579.0, "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": 79915.0, "metro_p50": 93575.2, "metro_p75": 100174.0, "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": "metro", "metro_p25": 114213.0, "metro_p50": 130631.0, "metro_p75": 134087.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 153652.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 101182.0, "metro_p50": 129567.0, "metro_p75": 131242.0, "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": 58480.0, "metro_p50": 58481.0, "metro_p75": 65140.0, "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": 60091.25, "metro_p50": 97424.6, "metro_p75": 100000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94782.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 44270.75, "metro_p50": 62126.8, "metro_p75": 63941.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 46361.0, "metro_p50": 59253.0, "metro_p75": 70614.0, "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": 65000.0, "metro_p50": 81400.0, "metro_p75": 91730.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 85216.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 26472.0, "metro_p50": 43021.0, "metro_p75": 52940.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 56731.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 70000.0, "metro_p50": 90000.0, "metro_p75": 98585.0, "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": 54937.0, "metro_p50": 80500.0, "metro_p75": 99000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 83694.0, "metro_p50": 93022.8, "metro_p75": 96720.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 56069.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 61000.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 35385.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 65000.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 65000.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 67818.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 81236.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 68112.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 27765.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 66659.0, "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": "columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T13:49:43.089328+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/columbus-ga-al-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}