{"schema_version": 1, "id": "jackson-mi-msa/finance/2026-10", "product": "Labor Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 172, "label": "Jackson, MI MSA", "slug": "jackson-mi-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "finance", "slug": "finance", "label": "Finance"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T05:25:27.988593+00:00", "headline": "Jackson finance pay splits as labor pool shrinks 6.4%.", "headline_summary": "Jackson MSA unemployment eased to 4.6% even as its labor force contracted 6.4% year-over-year, while local Financial Analyst pay fell to $69,014 against a stable $94,646 national median.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Jackson unemployment rate", "value": "4.6%", "context": "Down from 5.0% in September 2025"}, {"label": "Labor force contraction", "value": "-6.4%", "context": "68,800 workers, vs. Aug 2025"}, {"label": "Payroll employment growth", "value": "+1.2%", "context": "Leads all 15 Michigan metros YoY"}, {"label": "CFO turnover rate", "value": "18.3%", "context": "Highest since pandemic, Crist|Kolder"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Jackson's labor force is shrinking faster than its jobs are growing.", "body": "Civilian labor force fell 6.4% year-over-year to 68,800 while payroll employment rose 1.2% over the same period \u2014 the widest growth-versus-supply gap among Michigan metros. Finance headcount plans built on past hiring timelines may need longer runways for FP&A and controller searches."}, {"headline": "Financial Analyst pay is diverging sharply from the national market.", "body": "Metro median advertised pay for Financial Analyst sits at $69,014, down significantly year-over-year, against a stable $94,646 national median \u2014 a 27% gap. Consider evaluating whether this reflects a thinner local candidate pool accepting lower offers or a true softening in demand before setting new analyst requisitions."}, {"headline": "Controller pay is climbing while FP&A Manager pay retreats locally.", "body": "Metro Controller median rose to $107,992 (up significantly) while FP&A Manager median fell to $121,064 (down moderately), a divergence not mirrored nationally where both roles are rising. May signal Jackson employers are prioritizing close-cycle and compliance capacity over forward-looking planning talent amid talent scarcity."}, {"headline": "Statewide labor force contraction compounds local hiring friction.", "body": "Michigan's labor force shrank 3.2% year-over-year, a decline 2.6 points steeper than the national rate, with Jackson tracking this broader contraction. Finance leaders sourcing beyond county lines should expect the same supply constraint across most of lower Michigan."}], "local_conditions": "Jackson MSA unemployment fell to 4.6% in September, down from 5.0% a year earlier, even as the civilian labor force contracted 6.4% year-over-year to 68,800 \u2014 a combination that signals a talent pool that is both shrinking and tightening. Payroll employment grew 1.2% over the year through August, the strongest rate among Michigan's 15 metro areas, meaning Jackson employers are competing for a smaller pool of available workers even as hiring activity outpaces the rest of the state.", "implications": "Jackson's labor force contraction against payroll growth creates structural headcount risk for Finance functions already managing CFO turnover projected at 18.3% nationally and an 85% talent-shortage rate reported by finance leaders. Local Financial Analyst pay down 5.5% year-over-year against a stable national median suggests this market may be pricing in a smaller, less competitive applicant pool for analytical roles, a signal that should inform how budget cycles anchor compensation for finance headcount versus national benchmarks. Current conditions suggest reviewing whether finance role compensation is tracking local labor supply dynamics or stale national comparators before Q1 2027 budget cycles lock in assumptions.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Jackson's 1.2% payroll growth is the strongest in Michigan, but if labor force contraction continues at 6.4%, wage pressure on scarce finance roles could accelerate faster than budget assumptions anticipate. Track whether October/November MSA data shows labor force stabilizing or deepening."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "National CFO turnover at 18.3% and 37.5% external hiring rates suggest vacancy risk during close and audit periods will persist into Q4 and year-end reporting cycles. Jackson's thinner local finance talent pool may extend search timelines beyond typical national benchmarks."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Michigan minimum wage rises to $15.00 on January 1, 2027, compressing the pay gap between entry-level finance support roles (Billing Specialist, Tax Specialist) and skilled positions. Review whether current pay bands for junior finance staff maintain adequate separation from the new wage floor."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "70% of finance leaders nationally are increasing contract talent use in H2 2026, a trend likely amplified in labor-constrained markets like Jackson. Watch whether contract staffing growth creates audit-readiness or segregation-of-duties gaps during year-end close planning."}], "roles": [{"role": "Controller", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 96630.5, "metro_p50": 107991.8, "metro_p75": 108048.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 115420.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Senior Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 80028.0, "metro_p50": 80028.0, "metro_p75": 83204.25, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 87731.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 56477.0, "metro_p50": 69014.0, "metro_p75": 78507.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94646.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Billing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 40560.0, "metro_p50": 42054.0, "metro_p75": 48880.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 49000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Tax Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37863.25, "metro_p50": 48672.0, "metro_p75": 48672.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 69556.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Credit Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 55034.0, "metro_p50": 65396.8, "metro_p75": 71542.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 71397.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "FP&A Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 97663.5, "metro_p50": 121063.8, "metro_p75": 133650.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 130000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [], "citations": [{"source_name": "Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget", "source_url": null, "statement": "Jackson MSA unemployment at 4.6% in September 2026, down from 5.0%"}, {"source_name": "Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget", "source_url": null, "statement": "Jackson MSA led Michigan metros with 1.2% payroll growth through August"}, {"source_name": "Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget", "source_url": null, "statement": "Jackson civilian labor force fell 6.4% year-over-year to 68,800"}, {"source_name": "Crist|Kolder Associates", "source_url": null, "statement": "CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic"}, {"source_name": "Industry survey (AFP FP&A Forum / Robert Half)", "source_url": null, "statement": "70% of finance leaders increasing contract talent use in H2 2026"}, {"source_name": "State of Michigan", "source_url": null, "statement": "Michigan minimum wage scheduled to reach $15.00 on January 1, 2027"}], "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": "jackson-mi-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "pdf": "jackson-mi-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:23:39.247227+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/jackson-mi-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/jackson-mi-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}