{"schema_version": 1, "id": "iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 262, "label": "Iowa City, IA MSA", "slug": "iowa-city-ia-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T07:41:53.614388+00:00", "headline": "Iowa City labor force stalls even as population climbs", "headline_summary": "Johnson County's labor force shrank from 103,900 in February to 101,800 by May even as Iowa City led the state in population growth, while metro wage growth of 2.7% continues to trail inflation.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Johnson County unemployment", "value": "3.0%", "context": "vs. 4.2% national, Aug. 2026"}, {"label": "Metro labor force swing", "value": "103.9K to 101.8K", "context": "Feb. to May 2026, partial June rebound"}, {"label": "Johnson County wage growth", "value": "2.7% YoY", "context": "Q3 2025, below 3.5%+ CPI gains"}, {"label": "Metro population growth rank", "value": "0.9% annualized", "context": "Fastest among Iowa metros, June 2025-26"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Iowa City's labor force is treading water despite population growth.", "body": "The civilian labor force dipped from 103,900 in February to 101,800 by May before a partial June recovery, even as the metro led Iowa in population growth. Workforce participation appears disconnected from population gains, a pattern state data attributes partly to retirements and demographic shifts in the 45-54 age band."}, {"headline": "Pay gains are clustering in tech and finance, concentrated in specific sectors metro-wide.", "body": "Software Engineer ($167,000, up significantly), Financial Analyst ($82,956, up significantly) and Business Analyst ($90,427, up significantly) posted some of the sharpest local gains, while Electrician pay fell significantly and Administrative Assistant pay dropped to $38,756. Concentrated gains alongside falling pay in skilled trades and office support point to uneven sector momentum in an unevenly tight market."}, {"headline": "Construction pay is outrunning the national trend.", "body": "Construction Laborer pay in the metro rose to $47,840, a significant increase and well above the $40,727 national median, consistent with Iowa's statewide construction employment reaching an all-time high. Commerce leaders tracking building-sector capacity should weigh this against regional cost comparisons before finalizing project timelines."}, {"headline": "Metro wage growth is lagging the state's already modest pace.", "body": "Johnson County wages rose 2.7% year-over-year as of Q3 2025, below Iowa's own wage growth ranking (22nd nationally) and further behind the 3.5%-3.7% CPI gains cited in national data. Real purchasing power in the metro appears to be eroding at a pace consistent with \u2014 or slightly worse than \u2014 the national pattern."}], "local_conditions": "Johnson County's unemployment rate held near 3.0% in August, well below the national 4.2% rate, while the metro's civilian labor force has oscillated between roughly 101,800 and 103,900 since January \u2014 a pattern consistent with workforce churn. Iowa City posted the fastest population growth among state metros over the year to June (0.9% annualized), yet Johnson County wages rose just 2.7% year-over-year in Q3 2025, trailing both national inflation and the state's healthcare and construction gains.", "implications": "Advertised pay data show a divided metro economy: Software Engineer pay climbed to a $167,000 median (up significantly, well above the $154,403 national figure), while Data Engineer pay fell sharply to $108,415, and Electrician and Administrative Assistant pay also declined significantly \u2014 a sign that gains are concentrated in specific sectors. For commerce leaders assessing the local business climate, this divergence suggests expansion plans should account for uneven pay pressure across sectors; current conditions suggest reviewing sector-specific pay movement before benchmarking expansion costs against statewide or national averages.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Early indicator", "body": "July-September BLS metro nonfarm employment figures, delayed by the standard reporting lag, are due for release in the coming weeks and will show whether the labor force volatility seen through May-June persisted into late summer."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Statewide labor force participation fell to 66.9% in September from 67.8% a year earlier, concentrated among workers aged 45-54. Watch whether Johnson County's participation follows the same trajectory, given its role as the state's fastest-growing metro by population."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Wells Fargo's 86-layoff notice at its West Des Moines campus and a cumulative 460 Iowa job losses this year warrant monitoring for any ripple effect into Iowa City's financial-services advertised pay, where Financial Analyst and Accountant roles have shown divergent trends."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Healthcare and construction reached record statewide employment levels in September; whether Iowa City's own healthcare sector \u2014 anchored by the University of Iowa's hospital system \u2014 mirrors that statewide strength will be a key test of local economic resilience heading into year-end."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 24960.0, "metro_p50": 30741.0, "metro_p75": 34195.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 33340.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 27040.0, "metro_p50": 30519.8, "metro_p75": 32000.0, "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": 32137.0, "metro_p50": 36400.0, "metro_p75": 38480.0, "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": 57200.0, "metro_p50": 76415.0, "metro_p75": 85800.0, "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": 30406.0, "metro_p50": 34633.0, "metro_p75": 44200.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 34826.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37440.0, "metro_p50": 47840.0, "metro_p75": 49795.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 40726.6, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 55120.0, "metro_p50": 69387.0, "metro_p75": 75920.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 71835.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31188.0, "metro_p50": 34784.0, "metro_p75": 35158.0, "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": 31980.0, "metro_p50": 35600.4, "metro_p75": 37020.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Food Service Worker", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28375.0, "metro_p50": 30875.2, "metro_p75": 36733.0, "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": 35531.0, "metro_p50": 39741.4, "metro_p75": 44616.0, "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": 34320.0, "metro_p50": 38756.0, "metro_p75": 41600.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 44552.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57200.0, "metro_p50": 75088.0, "metro_p75": 79040.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 71406.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 87544.0, "metro_p50": 110227.0, "metro_p75": 118489.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 102252.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 123989.0, "metro_p50": 167000.0, "metro_p75": 170000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 154403.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 90091.0, "metro_p50": 108414.8, "metro_p75": 112958.25, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 138000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 53442.0, "metro_p50": 59466.0, "metro_p75": 63044.0, "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": 66888.0, "metro_p50": 82956.0, "metro_p75": 89472.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 38756.75, "metro_p50": 72162.8, "metro_p75": 76397.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 48975.0, "metro_p50": 67351.2, "metro_p75": 77816.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 62916.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 64060.0, "metro_p50": 94433.8, "metro_p75": 101503.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 86294.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30805.75, "metro_p50": 40348.0, "metro_p75": 50000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 55908.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 75034.5, "metro_p50": 90000.0, "metro_p75": 97000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 94009.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 60000.0, "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": 86903.0, "metro_p50": 90427.0, "metro_p75": 102559.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 98302.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 65417.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 64611.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 36708.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 61755.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 57280.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 44720.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 45009.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 43680.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 32391.5, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 64893.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [{"source_name": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / Iowa Workforce Development", "source_url": null, "statement": "Johnson County unemployment rate near 3.0% in August 2026"}, {"source_name": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Iowa City MSA civilian labor force trend January-June 2026"}, {"source_name": "U.S. Census Bureau / BLS regional data", "source_url": null, "statement": "Iowa City fastest-growing Iowa metro at 0.9% annualized"}, {"source_name": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Johnson County wages rose 2.7% year-over-year in Q3 2025"}, {"source_name": "Iowa Workforce Development", "source_url": null, "statement": "Iowa labor force participation fell to 66.9% in September"}, {"source_name": "Rolling Out", "source_url": null, "statement": "Wells Fargo West Des Moines layoff notice, 86 workers"}], "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": "iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "pdf": "iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf", "sources_html": "iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:23:36.671765+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/iowa-city-ia-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf"}