Sheboygan labor market grows while Wisconsin's shrinks.
2.9%
Metro unemployment rate
August 2026, up 0.1pt year-over-year
+100 workers
Metro workforce growth
Both MoM and YoY, August 2026
$1,394
Metro avg weekly wage
Highest among small WI counties, Q1 2026
-8,100 jobs
Wisconsin statewide job change
Since Nov 2024 peak, through July 2026
This Month's Takeaways
01
Sheboygan's labor market is growing while Wisconsin's is shrinking.
The metro added 100 workers to its labor force year-over-year even as the state lost 8,100 jobs since its November 2024 peak. That divergence suggests local economic momentum is outpacing the statewide trend, a distinction worth noting in any regional competitiveness conversation.
02
Manufacturing wage data tells a steadier story here than nationally.
Manufacturing production worker pay in the metro sits essentially flat at $39,973, in line with the $39,520 national figure, while Wisconsin's manufacturing employment statewide is declining 0.2%. Local manufacturing appears to be holding ground on both jobs and pay even as the sector contracts elsewhere in the state.
03
Wage-vs-inflation gap looks less severe locally than the state headline suggests.
Sheboygan's $1,394 average weekly wage led all small Wisconsin counties in Q1 2026, a stronger position than the statewide narrative of inflation eroding wage gains. Local purchasing power may be holding up better than the Wisconsin-wide 3.9% core inflation figure implies, though hourly wages here ($30.79) still trail the national average of $33.54.
04
A single large WARN filing does not signal metro-wide distress.
Lakeshore Community Health Care's 178-worker notice in April, spread across three counties including Sheboygan, coincided with an orderly transition to Noble Clinics rather than a net loss of local health care capacity. Isolated WARN activity warrants monitoring but should not be read as a broader destabilization signal given the metro's otherwise flat unemployment trend.
Local Economic Conditions
Sheboygan MSA unemployment held at 2.9% in August, with the workforce expanding by 100 workers both month-over-month and year-over-year — a sign of gradual labor supply growth even as Wisconsin statewide payrolls have contracted since late 2024. Manufacturing remains the metro's backbone at nearly 22,000 jobs, anchored by Kohler, Sargento, and Acuity Insurance, while the county's $1,394 average weekly wage — highest among small Wisconsin counties — signals the local economy is outperforming state peers even as statewide wage momentum cools against 3.9% core inflation.
Open Threads in the Data
Steady workforce growth alongside flat unemployment suggests Sheboygan's labor supply is expanding roughly in step with demand, a healthier balance than the statewide pattern of net job losses since January 2025. That relative stability, paired with the metro's wage leadership among small Wisconsin counties, points to a business climate still capable of absorbing expansion even as surrounding regions consolidate. Current conditions suggest commerce leaders evaluating local investment or expansion timing treat Sheboygan's labor market resilience as a genuine differentiator worth highlighting to prospective employers and investors considering the broader Wisconsin footprint.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Sheboygan, WI 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 |
$29,407 |
→ Stable |
231 |
| Retail Cashier |
$27,040 |
↑ Moderate increase |
170 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$41,808 |
→ Stable |
123 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$80,000 |
→ Stable |
735 |
| Delivery Driver |
$33,240 |
↓ Significant decline |
275 |
| Warehouse Manager |
$75,110 |
↑ Moderate increase |
12 |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$44,720 |
↓ Significant decline |
22 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$71,760 |
↓ Moderate decline |
71 |
| HVAC Technician |
$69,462 |
↑ Moderate increase |
939 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$39,973 |
→ Stable |
196 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$37,594 |
↓ Moderate decline |
136 |
| Operations Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$33,280 |
↓ Significant decline |
17 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$48,880 |
→ Stable |
423 |
| Registered Nurse |
$104,000 |
→ Stable |
748 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$40,201 |
→ Stable |
143 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$112,250 |
↑ Moderate increase |
20 |
| Data Engineer |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$65,622 |
↑ Significant increase |
86 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$77,500 |
→ Stable |
27 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$57,160 |
→ Stable |
699 |
| Business Analyst |
$90,000 |
↓ Moderate decline |
1,996 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$76,514 |
↓ Significant decline |
17 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$35,360 |
→ Stable |
135 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$68,165 |
↑ Moderate increase |
59 |
Industry Snapshot · Sheboygan, WI 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 |
↑ +59.1% |
↑ +439.3% |
| Manufacturing |
→ −0.7% |
↑ +141.4% |
| Retail Trade |
↑ +14.4% |
↑ +85.0% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↓ −9.8% |
↑ +100.0% |
| Information |
→ +0.7% |
↑ +81.8% |
| Financial Activities |
↑ +11.3% |
↑ +56.9% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +4.2% |
↑ +87.1% |
| Education & Health Services |
↓ −3.2% |
↑ +58.3% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
↓ −9.4% |
↑ +100.0% |
| Government |
↑ +85.2% |
↑ +750.0% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Worth watching
Sheboygan unemployment ticked up one-tenth year-over-year to 2.9% despite workforce growth — watch whether this reflects new entrants still job-searching or early softening in local hiring pace over the next two reporting cycles.
Potential inflection point
Wisconsin's statewide wage growth is forecast to slow to 3.7% in 2026 from 4.2% in 2025 against 3.9% core inflation. Whether Sheboygan's historically wage-leading position among small counties holds through Q3 and Q4 data will indicate whether local purchasing power is diverging favorably from the state pattern.
Early indicator
National WARN activity has drawn in large employers like Amazon, Meta, and Tyson Foods, while Wisconsin's own WARN filings are down 7% year-over-year. Track whether any multi-state manufacturing or health care filings extend into Sheboygan County, given the metro's exposure to both sectors.
Expected
Labor force participation nationally remains flat at 61.8% and Wisconsin's has slipped to 64.5% from 65.4% a year ago. A continued decline in statewide participation could eventually pressure Sheboygan's labor supply even if local figures currently buck the trend.
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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