{"schema_version": 1, "id": "md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 259, "label": "MD NONMETROPOLITAN AREA", "slug": "md-nonmetropolitan-area"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-09", "public_after": "2026-09-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T13:41:00.641163+00:00", "headline": "Maryland's labor pool shrinks as nonmetro data gap persists.", "headline_summary": "Statewide labor force participation hit a 10-year low of 63.7% in August even as Maryland shed 8,200 jobs, while September figures for the state's Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland nonmetro counties remain unpublished until October 28-29.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "MD labor force participation", "value": "63.7%", "context": "10-year low, down from 63.8% in July"}, {"label": "MD net payroll change", "value": "-8,200 jobs", "context": "August, after +10,200 in July"}, {"label": "Statewide unemployment rate", "value": "4.1%", "context": "vs 3.6% Virginia, 3.7% Pennsylvania"}, {"label": "CDL Truck Driver advertised pay", "value": "$87,100", "context": "up significant, vs $78,000 national median"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Rural labor supply, not demand, looks like the real constraint.", "body": "Maryland's labor force participation rate fell to 63.7% in August, a 10-year low, a trend consistent with nonmetro counties where population bases are smaller and aging. Economic development pitches promising available workforce capacity warrant a second look against this participation trend."}, {"headline": "Skilled trades pay is outrunning general labor pay locally.", "body": "CDL Truck Driver advertised pay rose to a metro median of $87,100, a significant increase and well above the $78,000 national figure, while Construction Laborer pay declined moderately to $38,399. Divergence like this suggests tightening capacity in licensed, mobile trades even as general labor softens."}, {"headline": "State job losses mask where stability actually sits.", "body": "Maryland lost 5,500 net payroll jobs over the past 12 months, concentrated in professional/technical services tied to federal contracting, while state and local government added 600 jobs July-August. Nonmetro counties with limited federal-contractor exposure may be more insulated than the statewide headline implies."}, {"headline": "Public-safety and essential-service postings remain the visible local signal.", "body": "Recent county job postings in Wicomico and Worcester counties cluster in 911 dispatch, corrections, and public works roles rather than private-sector expansion. Steady public-sector posting activity, even amid statewide private-sector contraction, is consistent with the public-sector stability narrative federal data points to nationally."}], "local_conditions": "Maryland's Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland nonmetro counties continue to run on a diversified base of healthcare, government, and public-safety hiring even as statewide payrolls reversed sharply in August, with Maryland shedding 8,200 jobs after a 10,200-job July gain. Labor force participation statewide fell to 63.7%, a 10-year low, a trend that\u2014absent nonmetro-specific September data yet to be released\u2014signals a tightening available workforce that rural county employers and economic development offices likely feel more acutely than dense job markets with larger commuting pools.", "implications": "Statewide workforce participation decline alongside persistent county-level job losses in 7 of 8 large Maryland counties suggests nonmetro economic development planning should treat labor supply, not demand, as the binding constraint on business attraction and expansion. Wage data showing CDL drivers (+significant, $87,100), electricians, and HVAC technicians posting strong advertised-pay gains locally point to where trade and logistics capacity is tightening fastest, a signal relevant to infrastructure and workforce-pipeline planning. Local officials and chamber leaders should consider reviewing participation-rate and commuting-pattern data alongside job postings when assessing readiness for new employer investment.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Expected release", "body": "Maryland Department of Labor publishes September metro and nonmetro unemployment data October 28-29. This will be the first hard read on whether nonmetro Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland counties tracked the statewide August reversal or diverged from it."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Statewide labor force participation has fallen for three consecutive reporting periods. Watch whether county-level data due this month shows nonmetro participation holding steadier than the state average, which would support a different economic development narrative than the statewide headline suggests."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "PepsiCo's September WARN filing for its Hyattsville facility (143 workers) and other statewide notices bring 2026 affected workers to 6,538, down 48% from 2025. Confirm whether any displaced manufacturing or logistics workers surface in nonmetro county labor pools, which would be a meaningful test of regional labor mobility."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Governor Moore's $18/hour minimum wage floor for MAA contract workers at BWI, alongside Montgomery County's July increase to $18, sets a reference point other jurisdictions may face pressure to match. Nonmetro county budgets and contractors should watch whether this becomes a broader statewide wage floor conversation."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30137.0, "metro_p50": 33800.0, "metro_p75": 38480.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33325.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Retail Cashier", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31200.0, "metro_p50": 33280.0, "metro_p75": 36140.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 31200.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 32339.5, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 38000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 62647.5, "metro_p50": 87100.0, "metro_p75": 94900.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 78000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30828.0, "metro_p50": 33438.0, "metro_p75": 34324.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 34344.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37010.0, "metro_p50": 38399.0, "metro_p75": 41600.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 40560.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57200.0, "metro_p50": 73812.0, "metro_p75": 79252.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 71404.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 33280.0, "metro_p50": 36473.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "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": 33842.0, "metro_p50": 36796.0, "metro_p75": 40560.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "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": 30912.5, "metro_p50": 35286.6, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 35647.0, "metro_p50": 39520.0, "metro_p75": 45240.0, "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": 35360.0, "metro_p50": 44204.0, "metro_p75": 51711.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 63219.75, "metro_p50": 78372.0, "metro_p75": 82940.0, "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": 88400.0, "metro_p50": 108905.0, "metro_p75": 119340.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 102581.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 85323.0, "metro_p50": 139728.0, "metro_p75": 153296.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 153652.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 99151.0, "metro_p50": 152682.0, "metro_p75": 159734.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 139500.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 58164.25, "metro_p50": 71473.6, "metro_p75": 76684.0, "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": 81474.25, "metro_p50": 104545.0, "metro_p75": 115000.0, "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": 46411.0, "metro_p50": 77000.0, "metro_p75": 82555.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 47629.75, "metro_p50": 62875.0, "metro_p75": 70000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 62354.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 71968.0, "metro_p50": 95900.0, "metro_p75": 101693.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 85216.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 47416.0, "metro_p50": 61480.0, "metro_p75": 70120.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 56731.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 55969.0, "metro_p50": 80000.0, "metro_p75": 105520.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 92749.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 50960.0, "metro_p50": 51396.8, "metro_p75": 67000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 83580.25, "metro_p50": 103962.0, "metro_p75": 113713.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 55120.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 96187.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 38220.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 66523.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 106000.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 99122.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 92793.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 80268.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 34424.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 71130.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "down", "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": "md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T14:32:50.714698+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/md-nonmetropolitan-area/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}