{"schema_version": 1, "id": "macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 275, "label": "Macon, GA MSA", "slug": "macon-ga-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T07:52:48.799315+00:00", "headline": "Macon's jobs picture grows wider in people, narrower in industries.", "headline_summary": "Macon-Bibb's labor force and employment both expanded in September even as unemployment rose to 4.1% and the metro's diffusion index slipped to 33, signaling growth concentrated in fewer industries.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Macon-Bibb unemployment rate", "value": "4.1%", "context": "Up from 3.9% a year ago; Georgia statewide at 3.3%"}, {"label": "Metro job growth breadth (diffusion index)", "value": "33", "context": "Below 50-point expansion threshold"}, {"label": "Nonfarm employment, year-over-year", "value": "-0.5%", "context": "Essentially flat while labor force grew"}, {"label": "Financial activities employment change", "value": "-9.6%", "context": "Q1 2026, to 5,773 jobs, vs. health care +3.4%"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Labor force growth explains the uptick in unemployment.", "body": "Both the labor force (100,703) and employment (96,568) grew in September, yet the unemployment rate still rose a tenth of a point to 4.1%. That pattern is consistent with more residents actively searching for work, a sign of confidence in local opportunity."}, {"headline": "Breadth of growth has narrowed beneath the metro's flat topline number.", "body": "A diffusion index of 33 \u2014 below the 50 expansion threshold \u2014 means job gains are concentrated in a shrinking share of industries even as overall nonfarm employment holds near flat (-0.5% year-over-year). Commerce leaders citing metro job growth should note which sectors are actually carrying it."}, {"headline": "Financial activities' pullback stands out against the metro's health care strength.", "body": "Financial activities employment fell 9.6% to 5,773 jobs in Q1 while education and health services grew 3.4% to 21,509 jobs, the metro's largest sector at 22.8% of employment. The divergence underscores health care's role as the structural anchor of Macon's labor market even as other sectors soften."}, {"headline": "H-1B filings surged locally, a small but notable signal of specialized demand.", "body": "Certified labor condition applications in the Macon, GA metro rose 180% in FY2026 Q1 versus a year earlier, albeit off a small base of 14 filings. The increase points to a modest but real uptick in demand for specialized technical talent that the local labor pool alone may not fully supply."}], "local_conditions": "Macon-Bibb's unemployment rate climbed to 4.1% in September, up from 3.9% a year earlier, even as the labor force and employment both expanded \u2014 100,703 and 96,568 respectively \u2014 a combination consistent with more residents entering the job search amid stable underlying conditions. Headline nonfarm employment sits essentially flat year-over-year (-0.5%), with financial activities contracting 4.3% and education and health services still expanding, pointing to a metro economy growing unevenly across sectors.", "implications": "Flat headline employment alongside rising labor force participation suggests Macon's economy has room to absorb new investment without immediate labor-supply constraints, a favorable signal for commerce leaders weighing expansion or relocation decisions. Sector divergence \u2014 financial activities contracting while wholesale trade and retail trade post gains \u2014 indicates the metro's growth is concentrated in specific industries, a distinction that matters for anyone assessing the durability of local consumer and business demand. Current conditions suggest economic development and commerce officials evaluate expansion-readiness narratives sector-by-sector, looking beyond a single aggregate employment figure.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Watch whether the diffusion index (currently 33, below the 50 expansion line) recovers over the next two reporting cycles. A continued drop would indicate job growth is narrowing to fewer industries, a leading signal worth tracking ahead of any public investment or incentive decisions."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Financial activities' 4.3% year-over-year contraction and 9.6% Q1 decline bear monitoring for whether the softness spreads to adjacent professional services, or stays contained to finance specifically."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Georgia's statewide initial jobless claims hit a 50-year low in September (15,874), a strong state-level signal; watch whether Macon's own claims data converges toward or diverges from that statewide trend in coming releases."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "National real wages are running behind inflation (median weekly earnings up 1.5% versus 3.5% CPI growth in Q3), a dynamic that can dampen local consumer spending. Commerce leaders should watch retail and consumer-facing sector performance locally for early signs of softened household purchasing power."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 22895.0, "metro_p50": 29463.4, "metro_p75": 36400.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33340.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21919.0, "metro_p50": 24960.0, "metro_p75": 27417.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 31268.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30853.0, "metro_p50": 34195.0, "metro_p75": 35598.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 38480.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 62400.0, "metro_p50": 81209.0, "metro_p75": 88500.0, "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": 27034.0, "metro_p50": 31275.0, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 34826.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31200.0, "metro_p50": 41600.0, "metro_p75": 44720.0, "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": 47840.0, "metro_p50": 63266.4, "metro_p75": 70636.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 71835.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30160.0, "metro_p50": 30217.2, "metro_p75": 31200.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 31522.0, "metro_p50": 37044.0, "metro_p75": 40593.0, "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": 25797.0, "metro_p50": 28351.0, "metro_p75": 30750.0, "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": 27733.0, "metro_p50": 33213.0, "metro_p75": 34702.0, "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": 25760.0, "metro_p50": 34893.0, "metro_p75": 38589.75, "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": 55120.0, "metro_p50": 61593.2, "metro_p75": 67071.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 71406.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 83237.0, "metro_p50": 97656.0, "metro_p75": 100207.75, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 102252.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 118885.0, "metro_p50": 143803.2, "metro_p75": 147250.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 154403.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 99105.5, "metro_p50": 134538.8, "metro_p75": 151343.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 138000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 40477.0, "metro_p50": 53580.0, "metro_p75": 56729.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 72000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 67379.5, "metro_p50": 88016.2, "metro_p75": 96098.5, "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": 59125.75, "metro_p50": 72120.8, "metro_p75": 79561.25, "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": "metro", "metro_p25": 40487.0, "metro_p50": 50000.0, "metro_p75": 50761.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 62916.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 67500.0, "metro_p50": 84405.4, "metro_p75": 92219.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 86294.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 25885.5, "metro_p50": 42693.0, "metro_p75": 51590.0, "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": 63155.0, "metro_p50": 95179.0, "metro_p75": 109732.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94009.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 57500.0, "metro_p50": 82500.0, "metro_p75": 95500.0, "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": 81926.0, "metro_p50": 95239.4, "metro_p75": 103190.0, "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": 48942.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 73621.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 34490.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 65549.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 61900.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 53573.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 69127.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 79500.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 27171.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 65777.5, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [{"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Macon-Bibb unemployment rose to 4.1% in September 2026, up from 3.9% a year earlier"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Macon labor force totaled 100,703 with 96,568 employed in September"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Education/health services employment grew 3.4% to 21,509 jobs; financial activities fell 9.6%"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Economics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Macon diffusion index at 33, below the 50-point expansion threshold"}, {"source_name": "H1BScope", "source_url": null, "statement": "H-1B labor condition applications in Macon rose 180% in FY2026 Q1 versus prior year"}, {"source_name": "Georgia Department of Labor", "source_url": null, "statement": "Georgia initial jobless claims fell to 15,874, a 50-year low"}], "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": "macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "pdf": "macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf", "sources_html": "macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:25:32.349101+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/macon-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf"}