Labor Market Pulse

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Edition

Focus: FINANCE

Scranton's finance labor pool loosens as state market tightens.

4.6%

Metro unemployment rate

vs 3.7% PA statewide, 4.1% national

1.0%

Metro job growth (YoY)

+2,600 jobs vs PA's stronger statewide gains

~15,000 workers

PA labor force dropout

up from ~8,000 in early 2025

Record high

PA finance sector employment

Finance & insurance +1,500 jobs in July

This Month's Takeaways

01

Metro slack looks like an opportunity, not a warning sign.

A 4.6% metro unemployment rate versus 3.7% statewide suggests a deeper local candidate pool than state or national data implies. Finance leaders budgeting new headcount may find Scranton fill times and offer-acceptance economics more favorable than benchmarks assume.

02

Credit Analyst pay is moving fast — and that is data-driven, not noise.

Metro advertised pay for Credit Analyst rose significantly to a $92,500 median, now running above the $72,000 national figure. That local premium is consistent with tightening demand for credit risk expertise even as broader metro hiring stays soft, and warrants a fresh look at internal equity for incumbents in that role.

03

Tax Specialist pay collapse locally cuts against the national trend.

Metro Tax Specialist advertised pay fell significantly to $39,244, well below the $66,725 national median that itself is climbing. Divergence this wide suggests either a thin, unrepresentative local posting sample or a genuine local demand gap — either way it is not a number to anchor an offer against without validation.

04

Statewide finance hiring is outrunning metro headline numbers.

Pennsylvania's financial activities supersector posted a record employment level in August with finance and insurance adding 1,500 jobs in July alone. Metro-level softness may reflect timing or industry mix rather than a genuine pullback in finance function demand — worth confirming before assuming reduced competition for local finance talent.

Local Labor Conditions

Scranton–Wilkes-Barre's unemployment rate sat at 4.6% in the most recent reading, holding well above Pennsylvania's 3.7% statewide rate even as the state posted record labor force and employment levels. Metro job growth remains soft at just 1.0% year-over-year, a sign that local labor supply is loosening relative to the state and national picture even as finance and insurance employment statewide hit record highs.

Leadership & Talent Implications

Softer metro job growth alongside a stubbornly elevated local unemployment rate signals more available candidates than the state or national picture would suggest — a dynamic that changes the calculus on remote/hybrid sourcing radius, contractor mix, and whether premium pay is truly required to fill finance roles locally. Statewide finance and insurance employment hit a record high in July, indicating sector-level demand remains intact even where metro-level headline numbers look sluggish. Consider reviewing whether Scranton-based roles budgeted at national or state pay assumptions are over-calibrated given the metro's comparatively looser labor market.

Advertised Pay Indicators

Role	P25	Median	P75	Local Trend	National	Nat. Trend
Controller	$94,960	$112,806	$124,204	↑ Moderate increase	$112,500	→ Stable
Senior Accountant	$66,216	$79,147	$80,030	↑ Moderate increase	$87,731	→ Stable
Financial Analyst	$66,974	$75,000	$75,574	↓ Moderate decline	$82,905	→ Stable
Billing Specialist	$36,400	$42,352	$50,000	↑ Moderate increase	$49,700	↑ Moderate increase
Tax Specialist	$33,341	$39,244	$44,450	↓ Significant decline	$66,725	↑ Significant increase
Credit Analyst	$62,210	$92,500	$92,500	↑ Significant increase	$72,000	↑ Moderate increase
FP&A Manager	$102,539	$125,149	$137,500	↑ Moderate increase	$127,341	→ Stable

Some roles reflect state-level data where local metro sample size was insufficient.

Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days

Worth watching

Metro unemployment has drifted up three-tenths of a point year-over-year even as the state rate hit a two-year low. Track whether that gap closes or widens over the next two jobs reports before adjusting Scranton hiring-difficulty assumptions.

Emerging pressure point

Pennsylvania's dropout rate from the labor force nearly doubled from roughly 8,000 to over 15,000 workers in Q3, which could tighten the effective candidate pool even where headline unemployment looks soft. Monitor whether this shows up in longer time-to-fill for finance roles in Scranton postings.

Potential inflection point

AI-skill premiums are running as high as 56% nationally for finance and accounting roles, and 82% of F&A leaders report paying up for AI expertise. Watch whether Scranton postings for FP&A and technical accounting roles begin reflecting this premium or continue lagging national pay signals.

Early indicator

Pennsylvania WARN filings remain modest at 57 notices statewide in 2026, with no metro-specific Scranton filings surfacing this month. Absence of local WARN activity is a reasonable proxy for stable near-term finance headcount conditions, but confirm directly with regional workforce boards given data lag risk.

WageScape Member Benefit

Monitor more markets, industries, and job families.

Your Pulse covers one metro and one function or industry. Add coverage if you want to see the latest intelligence for other markets, industries, or functions.

Pulse Plus

3 metro reports

$149/year

Pulse Pro

10 metro reports

$349/year

Enterprise

10+ markets

Contact us

Scan or click to add coverage

WageTrak · 15% Member Discount

On-demand advertised pay data across thousands of job titles, all metro areas, full percentile coverage, and monthly updates. Use code WAGESCAPE15 at wagetrak.com.

Forwarded This Briefing?

Receive your own personalized monthly briefing, filtered to your local market. Scan to enroll below.