Johnson City holds steady as national hiring cools
3.7%
Metro unemployment rate
vs. 4.2% national, 3.5% Tennessee
29,000 jobs
National payroll growth
September, below 45,000 12-mo average
3.0% vs 3.4%
National wage vs. inflation gap
Weakest real-wage reading since May 2021
99.1 thousand
Local labor force
Essentially flat vs. July 2025
This Month's Takeaways
01
Johnson City's labor market looks tighter than the nation's, not looser.
A 3.7% local unemployment rate sits well under the 4.2% national figure and Tennessee's 3.5% state rate, suggesting the metro has not absorbed the national hiring slowdown reported for September. That gap is worth flagging to press or officials citing national headlines as a proxy for local conditions.
02
Healthcare wage strength is carrying the metro's pay story.
Registered nurse pay rose significantly to a $92,805 local median, tracking the sector's national momentum (healthcare added 17,000 jobs nationally in September) and Tennessee's statewide healthcare job gains over the past year. This concentration suggests the metro's wage growth narrative is sector-specific rather than broad-based.
03
Consumer-facing and logistics pay is quietly eroding.
Food service pay fell significantly and warehouse, delivery driver, and home health aide pay all declined moderately in the local market even as national figures for these roles held stable. That local-only softening is consistent with thinner consumer spending momentum locally, a signal relevant to retail and hospitality-dependent commercial corridors.
04
Public-sector and professional-services pay offer a steadier signal.
Teacher pay rose significantly and financial analyst and operations manager pay rose moderately-to-significantly in the local market, bucking the national pattern of government and finance payroll softness. That contrast may reflect localized public investment and professional-services demand distinct from national-level trends.
Local Economic Conditions
Johnson City's unemployment rate held at 3.7% in July 2026, roughly 50 basis points below the national rate of 4.2% reported for September, reflecting a labor force of 99.1 thousand that has stayed essentially flat year-over-year. Local wage movement is mixed across the basket — registered nurse pay climbed significantly while food service, warehouse, and home health aide pay softened, a pattern consistent with Tennessee's broader split between resilient healthcare demand and cooling lower-wage service activity.
Open Threads in the Data
Divergent wage movement across the local basket — strength in nursing and financial analysis against softness in food service, warehouse, and caregiving pay — signals a two-speed metro economy where skilled health and professional services continue attracting investment while consumer-facing and logistics segments lose pricing power. For commerce leaders and economic development officials, this suggests expansion or relocation decisions tied to healthcare, finance, or skilled trades carry more tailwind locally than those tied to retail, warehousing, or food service footprints. Current conditions suggest monitoring sector-specific wage trends before drawing metro-wide conclusions about business climate strength.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Johnson City, TN 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 |
$26,621 |
→ Stable |
1,094 |
| Retail Cashier |
$24,960 |
↑ Moderate increase |
785 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$35,117 |
↓ Moderate decline |
91 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$78,000 |
→ Stable |
1,057 |
| Delivery Driver |
$32,264 |
↓ Moderate decline |
425 |
| Warehouse Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$34,265 |
↑ Moderate increase |
30 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$56,286 |
→ Stable |
77 |
| HVAC Technician |
$55,944 |
→ Stable |
20 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$36,608 |
→ Stable |
163 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$35,360 |
→ Stable |
295 |
| Operations Manager |
$77,938 |
↑ Moderate increase |
137 |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$27,434 |
↓ Significant decline |
58 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$34,320 |
↓ Moderate decline |
826 |
| Registered Nurse |
$92,805 |
↑ Significant increase |
1,143 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$35,378 |
↑ Moderate increase |
98 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
| Data Engineer |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$60,000 |
→ Stable |
75 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$58,382 |
↓ Significant decline |
13 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$60,000 |
→ Stable |
632 |
| Business Analyst |
$95,462 |
→ Stable |
1,554 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$72,795 |
↑ Significant increase |
14 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$48,393 |
↑ Significant increase |
381 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$75,000 |
→ Stable |
51 |
Industry Snapshot · Johnson City, TN 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 |
↑ +17.3% |
↑ +85.2% |
| Manufacturing |
→ −2.0% |
↑ +211.9% |
| Retail Trade |
→ +2.9% |
↑ +90.8% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↑ +46.8% |
↑ +251.6% |
| Information |
↑ +26.6% |
↑ +85.0% |
| Financial Activities |
↓ −5.1% |
↑ +69.1% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +4.6% |
↑ +213.2% |
| Education & Health Services |
↑ +7.0% |
↑ +59.9% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
→ −0.8% |
↑ +91.2% |
| Government |
↑ +74.4% |
↑ +1045.5% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Expected data release
BLS September 2026 metro-level employment data for Johnson City is due in October; watch whether the 3.7% unemployment rate holds or drifts toward the national 4.2% reading, which would mark a meaningful shift in the metro's relative position.
Worth watching
Tennessee recorded 98 WARN filings over 24 months concentrated in manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare; no Johnson City MSA-specific WARN activity has surfaced yet, but regional filings — including the Nashville TikTok office closure — bear monitoring for any Tri-Cities spillover.
Emerging pressure point
National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, the weakest real-wage picture since 2021. If that national erosion reaches the Johnson City basket, already-softening food service and warehouse pay could extend further, with implications for local consumer spending.
Potential inflection point
Tennessee's statewide job growth has cooled sharply, from a historical 60,000-per-year average to a projected 31,400 for 2026, with Nashville capturing most of the gains. Economic development officials should watch whether Johnson City's relative labor-market tightness reflects durable strength or simply a smaller, slower-moving labor pool.
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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