{"schema_version": 1, "id": "shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 478, "label": "Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA", "slug": "shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T08:04:39.817058+00:00", "headline": "Construction carries Shreveport-Bossier while government payrolls shrink.", "headline_summary": "Construction employment rose 12.4% year-over-year to 10,000 jobs in Shreveport-Bossier even as government payrolls fell 3% to 26,000, a split that will shape how commerce leaders read the metro's 0.3% overall job growth.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Construction employment growth", "value": "+12.4% YoY", "context": "10,000 jobs, metro's strongest sector"}, {"label": "Government employment", "value": "-3% YoY", "context": "Fell to 26,000 jobs amid pay debate"}, {"label": "Metro overall nonfarm employment", "value": "171,700 jobs", "context": "Up 0.3% YoY, below LA's 1.8% state rate"}, {"label": "Louisiana statewide job growth", "value": "+300 jobs (Sept.)", "context": "21st among states; cooling vs. 2,900/mo. 5-yr avg"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Construction is carrying Shreveport-Bossier's job growth.", "body": "Construction employment rose 12.4% year-over-year to 10,000 jobs, more than half of the metro's net sectoral momentum, consistent with the statewide pattern where construction accounted for 52% of Louisiana's annual job gain. A single sector carrying this much of the growth story leaves the metro's trajectory more exposed to construction-cycle swings than the headline 0.3% overall job growth suggests."}, {"headline": "Government employment contraction coincides with a pay debate.", "body": "Government payrolls fell 3% to 26,000 even as the city advances a 3% raise for about 1,000 employees, moved up from March 2027 after council concerns over uneven timing between public-safety and other staff. Economists and press should read this as a public-sector stability story: headcount is shrinking while compensation commitments grow."}, {"headline": "Leisure and hospitality softness tracks a national retail pattern.", "body": "Metro leisure and hospitality employment declined 2.9% year-over-year, aligning with national flatness in retail trade and Louisiana's own reported retail job losses in Baton Rouge and statewide. Commerce leaders monitoring consumer-facing sector health should treat this as part of a regional pattern affecting the broader market, not confined to this metro."}, {"headline": "Wage growth here is outrunning the state average.", "body": "Shreveport average weekly earnings reached $997.58 in September, with hourly earnings at $28.26 \u2014 figures that, set against Louisiana's $1,154 average weekly wage (statewide, August), show the metro converging from a lower base. Combined with national wage growth (4.1% year-over-year) running ahead of the metro's pace, this is a wage-versus-inflation dynamic worth tracking for local purchasing-power implications."}], "local_conditions": "Shreveport-Bossier nonfarm employment reached 171,700 jobs in September, with construction up 12.4% year-over-year to 10,000 jobs and education and health services up 3% to 34,300 \u2014 gains concentrated in sectors tied to institutional and infrastructure investment, with consumer-facing sectors lagging behind. Government employment fell 3% to 26,000 and leisure and hospitality declined 2.9% to 20,000, a divergence that mirrors statewide softness in retail and offsets the metro's otherwise above-national job growth story.", "implications": "Construction and healthcare strength signals the metro's near-term economic momentum rests on institutional and infrastructure-linked activity, a useful reference point for commerce leaders weighing timing on local investment or expansion decisions. Government payroll contraction alongside the city of Shreveport's proposed 3% raise for roughly 1,000 municipal employees suggests public-sector compensation pressure is building even as headcount softens, a signal worth tracking for anyone assessing public-sector service stability. Current conditions suggest commerce leaders evaluate expansion or site-location timing against sector-specific momentum, since the metro's aggregate job count blends diverging trends.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Expected", "body": "October metro employment and unemployment figures from BLS are due in early-to-mid December given the standard 4-6 week lag; watch whether construction's 12.4% annual growth rate holds or decelerates, since it anchors the metro's current job-growth narrative."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Shreveport's accelerated 3% municipal pay raise timeline, now under council discussion, will clarify how the city balances public-safety versus general-employee compensation amid a 3% annual decline in government headcount \u2014 a test case for public-sector budget pressure relevant to other parish and city budgets in the metro."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Louisiana's September slowdown to 300 net jobs statewide (21st among states, well below the five-year average of ~2,900/month) raises the question of whether Shreveport-Bossier's above-trend sector gains (construction, healthcare) can offset a cooling state backdrop in the fourth quarter."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "National information-sector job losses (-10,000 in September) and flat professional/business services nationally have not yet shown up distinctly in Shreveport metro data; commerce leaders and economists should watch whether local professional-services job ads, a signal of hiring demand (one ad often covers several openings), begin reflecting this national softness."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 20800.0, "metro_p50": 25554.0, "metro_p75": 28600.0, "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": 20800.0, "metro_p50": 23266.2, "metro_p75": 25129.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 31268.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28571.0, "metro_p50": 35055.2, "metro_p75": 36400.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 38480.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 58011.0, "metro_p50": 79976.0, "metro_p75": 90000.0, "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": 25493.0, "metro_p50": 30685.4, "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": 36143.0, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 40726.6, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 54080.0, "metro_p50": 70000.0, "metro_p75": 75920.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 71835.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29399.0, "metro_p50": 40216.8, "metro_p75": 44720.0, "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": 29120.0, "metro_p50": 33308.0, "metro_p75": 35672.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Food Service Worker", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 23521.0, "metro_p50": 24637.0, "metro_p75": 30160.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 33764.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29120.0, "metro_p50": 32760.0, "metro_p75": 37342.75, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 41600.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 30347.0, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 44552.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 47840.0, "metro_p50": 58240.0, "metro_p75": 75407.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 71406.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Registered Nurse", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 75389.5, "metro_p50": 91869.8, "metro_p75": 99701.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 102252.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 90725.0, "metro_p50": 124768.6, "metro_p75": 135388.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 154403.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 81595.25, "metro_p50": 89455.0, "metro_p75": 101182.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 138000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 58042.75, "metro_p50": 73953.0, "metro_p75": 73953.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 72000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 65614.0, "metro_p50": 76220.2, "metro_p75": 82500.0, "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": 54379.0, "metro_p50": 62447.0, "metro_p75": 96148.0, "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": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 43361.0, "metro_p50": 56859.0, "metro_p75": 70057.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 62916.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 59817.0, "metro_p50": 88000.0, "metro_p75": 92750.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 86294.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 44254.0, "metro_p50": 47576.0, "metro_p75": 49896.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 55908.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 58091.0, "metro_p50": 79612.0, "metro_p75": 90000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 94009.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 45000.0, "metro_p50": 45000.0, "metro_p75": 59133.0, "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": 72635.75, "metro_p50": 91070.0, "metro_p75": 99976.0, "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": 63059.5, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 63427.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 34195.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 59374.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 50190.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 51282.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 52500.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 61859.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 28046.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 63645.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}], "citations": [{"source_name": "BIZ Magazine / Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Shreveport MSA nonfarm employment at 171,700 jobs; sector-level gains and declines"}, {"source_name": "The Center Square", "source_url": null, "statement": "City of Shreveport considering accelerated 3% raise for ~1,000 employees"}, {"source_name": "Louisiana Works", "source_url": null, "statement": "Construction accounted for 52% of Louisiana's annual job gain"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics via USAFacts", "source_url": null, "statement": "Louisiana average weekly wage $1,154, up 5.5% year-over-year"}, {"source_name": "Louisiana Works / BLS", "source_url": null, "statement": "Louisiana added only 300 jobs statewide in September, ranking 21st nationally"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "National information sector lost 10,000 jobs in September"}], "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": "shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "pdf": "shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf", "sources_html": "shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:30:34.754394+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/shreveport-bossier-city-la-msa/metro-job-market/2026-10.pdf"}