{"schema_version": 1, "id": "springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 403, "label": "Springfield, IL MSA", "slug": "springfield-il-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-09", "public_after": "2026-09-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T13:43:40.015510+00:00", "headline": "Springfield's job streak cools as sectors pull apart.", "headline_summary": "Sangamon County wages rose 3.2% year-over-year even as metro unemployment climbed toward 4.3%, with software and financial-sector pay surging while HVAC and manufacturing pay retreated.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Sangamon County wage growth", "value": "3.2% YoY", "context": "$1,447 avg weekly wage, Q1 2026"}, {"label": "Springfield MSA unemployment", "value": "4.3%", "context": "Up from 3.2% in Sept 2025"}, {"label": "Illinois statewide unemployment", "value": "4.7%", "context": "vs 4.1% national (Aug 2026)"}, {"label": "Springfield job growth streak", "value": "23 months", "context": "Consecutive YoY payroll gains through Sept 2025"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Public-sector stability is masking private-sector unevenness.", "body": "State government employment continues to anchor Springfield's labor market even as sectors like HVAC and customer service post significant local pay declines. A metro this dependent on one stabilizing sector should watch private employer health as closely as state payroll trends."}, {"headline": "Local wage growth is outrunning the national wage-inflation gap.", "body": "Sangamon County's 3.2% year-over-year wage gain compares favorably to the national picture, where average hourly earnings growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation. That gap matters for read-through on local consumer spending capacity, a key input for retail and commercial investment decisions."}, {"headline": "Skilled technical and professional pay is pulling away from the rest.", "body": "Software engineering ($166,427), financial analysis ($102,785), and marketing specialist pay all posted significant local increases, while manufacturing, HVAC, and customer service roles declined. Divergence this sharp is consistent with a metro economy splitting between knowledge-sector momentum and softening hands-on, consumer-facing segments."}, {"headline": "Unemployment readings are noisy, not necessarily deteriorating.", "body": "Springfield MSA unemployment rose from 3.2% to 4.3% across recent reporting months, but reporting lags and county-level volatility (Sangamon ranging 4.3%-5.2%) make single-month readings unreliable signals. Momentum should be judged over several months, not one release."}], "local_conditions": "Springfield's streak of job gains \u2014 23 consecutive months of year-over-year payroll growth through September 2025 \u2014 has given way to softer signals, with the metro unemployment rate climbing to 4.3% in October 2025 and Sangamon County readings near 4.3-5.2% through early 2026, even as statewide Illinois unemployment sits at 4.7% in August. State government employment, the metro's structural anchor, continues to provide stability even as Illinois labor force participation has contracted statewide, a trend that appears to reflect demographic and migration pressures more than weakening local demand.", "implications": "Wage growth in Sangamon County (3.2% year-over-year in Q1 2026, averaging $1,447 weekly) is outpacing the national wage-vs-inflation squeeze reported at the U.S. level, suggesting local purchasing power is holding up better than the national picture implies \u2014 a relevant data point for commerce leaders gauging consumer spending capacity. Divergent local pay trends \u2014 sharp gains in software engineering, financial analysis, and marketing roles against declines in HVAC, customer service, and manufacturing-adjacent work \u2014 point to an economy bifurcating along skill and sector lines rather than moving uniformly. Current conditions suggest commerce and economic development leaders should weight sector-specific momentum, not headline unemployment alone, when assessing the metro's investment and expansion climate.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Data lag watch", "body": "Springfield MSA's most current unemployment figures trail by several months due to IDES reporting delays; treat any single monthly reading with caution until confirmed by subsequent releases."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Illinois's statewide labor force contraction (down to 6.477 million in August 2026 from 6.571 million in March) has not yet shown up clearly at the Springfield metro level \u2014 watch whether local labor force figures begin mirroring the statewide pullback."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "State government hiring activity, including recent IDHS recruitment events in Springfield, offers a leading indicator of public-sector payroll direction, which disproportionately shapes this metro's overall employment trajectory."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "National WARN filings tied to Amazon, Meta, and other large employers have not materially touched Illinois outside Chicago-area notices (Uber, GoHealth, T-Mobile); a spread of layoff activity into central Illinois would mark a meaningful shift worth flagging for regional economic development tracking."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 29827.0, "metro_p50": 33280.0, "metro_p75": 35360.0, "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": 28879.25, "metro_p50": 32240.0, "metro_p75": 33280.0, "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": 33750.0, "metro_p50": 37500.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 38000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "CDL Truck Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 59305.0, "metro_p50": 81825.0, "metro_p75": 93000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 78000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Delivery Driver", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 31118.0, "metro_p50": 41600.0, "metro_p75": 43680.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 34344.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Construction Laborer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37440.0, "metro_p50": 39520.0, "metro_p75": 39520.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 40560.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Electrician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 63010.0, "metro_p50": 71389.0, "metro_p75": 77335.0, "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": 34320.0, "metro_p50": 39500.0, "metro_p75": 42902.0, "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": 25624.0, "metro_p50": 35015.0, "metro_p75": 37854.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 39520.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Food Service Worker", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28831.5, "metro_p50": 31159.8, "metro_p75": 33278.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37440.0, "metro_p50": 42794.4, "metro_p75": 44200.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 41106.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 37401.0, "metro_p50": 46805.0, "metro_p75": 58094.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 53000.0, "metro_p50": 63627.0, "metro_p75": 70710.25, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "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": 109375.0, "metro_p75": 117281.0, "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": 134718.5, "metro_p50": 166427.0, "metro_p75": 181267.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 153652.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 107728.0, "metro_p50": 140984.6, "metro_p75": 158097.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 139500.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 60000.0, "metro_p50": 71000.0, "metro_p75": 78083.0, "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": 81960.0, "metro_p50": 102785.0, "metro_p75": 119606.0, "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": 49310.0, "metro_p50": 73000.0, "metro_p75": 90517.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 52481.5, "metro_p50": 82129.8, "metro_p75": 98342.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 62354.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 74505.5, "metro_p50": 98612.4, "metro_p75": 105250.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 85216.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Elementary/Secondary School Teacher", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 33280.0, "metro_p50": 40136.0, "metro_p75": 48750.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 56731.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Account Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 80000.0, "metro_p50": 113501.0, "metro_p75": 141581.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 92749.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Warehouse Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 65000.0, "metro_p50": 87500.0, "metro_p75": 91350.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 77175.75, "metro_p50": 97570.0, "metro_p75": 107587.75, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 80000.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 126262.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 59613.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 72800.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 147325.5, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 91200.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 96789.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 77300.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 34320.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 65634.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "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": "springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T14:36:35.764602+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/springfield-il-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}