{"schema_version": 1, "id": "valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09", "product": "Metro Job Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 348, "label": "Valdosta, GA MSA", "slug": "valdosta-ga-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "general_conditions", "slug": "metro-job-market", "label": "General Market Conditions"}, "period": "2026-09", "public_after": "2026-09-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T13:44:03.095477+00:00", "headline": "Valdosta's tight labor market hides a manufacturing fault line.", "headline_summary": "Valdosta's 3.60% unemployment rate beats the 4.1% national figure, but the May closure of Jacuzzi's factory and over 100 lost jobs show sector-level strain the headline number doesn't capture.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Valdosta MSA unemployment", "value": "3.60%", "context": "vs. 4.1% national rate, July 2026"}, {"label": "Jacuzzi factory closure", "value": "100+ jobs", "context": "Single May 2026 event, Valdosta plant"}, {"label": "Georgia unemployment rate", "value": "3.2%", "context": "All-time high labor force, August 2026"}, {"label": "National wage vs. inflation gap", "value": "3.0% vs 3.4%", "context": "Wage growth trailing inflation, Sept 2026"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Low unemployment coexists with real manufacturing stress.", "body": "Valdosta's 3.60% July rate sits well below the national 4.1%, yet the Jacuzzi factory closure removed over 100 jobs from the local base in a single event. A tight headline rate can still mask localized sector contraction that matters for regional investment decisions."}, {"headline": "Manufacturing wage gains locally may reflect scarcity, not strength.", "body": "Metro manufacturing production worker pay rose moderately even as Jacuzzi exited the market, consistent with a shrinking but more specialized production workforce rather than expanding sector demand. Commerce leaders should distinguish wage growth driven by attrition from wage growth driven by genuine sector expansion."}, {"headline": "Services remain the metro's steadiest growth channel.", "body": "Statewide, healthcare added 19,100 jobs over the year while professional/technical services and federal government contracted, a pattern likely echoed in Valdosta given its public-sector and healthcare employment base. This points toward services and public institutions as the more dependable near-term anchors for local economic activity."}, {"headline": "Real wages are not keeping pace with inflation statewide or nationally.", "body": "National wage growth slowed to roughly 3.0% against inflation near 3.4%, and Georgia's weekly wage growth of 2% trails that gap further. Softening purchasing power locally is consistent with muted consumer spending momentum even where employment itself stays resilient."}], "local_conditions": "Valdosta MSA unemployment held near 3.60% in July 2026, a tighter reading than the national 4.1% rate, even as the local economy absorbs the May closure of Jacuzzi's bathtub factory and more than 100 associated job losses. Manufacturing consolidation locally echoes a statewide pattern \u2014 Georgia's non-durable goods manufacturing sector has shed jobs even as the state posts record labor force and employment totals, suggesting the Valdosta metro's tight headline rate masks sector-specific churn rather than broad-based tightness.", "implications": "Sub-4% unemployment alongside a documented manufacturing-sector contraction signals a local economy that looks stable on the surface but is unevenly distributing gains and losses across sectors, a pattern commerce leaders should weigh before treating low unemployment alone as a green light for expansion. Healthcare's statewide growth of 19,100 annual jobs and Georgia's administrative/support and retail gains suggest services remain the more reliable local growth engine than production. Current conditions suggest economic development and chamber leadership should track whether displaced Jacuzzi workers re-enter the local labor force in adjacent sectors, as a signal of how resilient the metro's labor supply truly is beneath the headline rate.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Watch whether workers displaced by the Jacuzzi closure appear in regional employment data for adjacent counties or sectors over the next two BLS releases. Re-absorption speed is a cleaner signal of labor market resilience than the headline unemployment rate alone."}, {"category": "Expected", "body": "September 2026 BLS metro data will not post until late October; until then, Valdosta readings rely on July figures that may understate any post-Jacuzzi softening. Commerce leaders citing local unemployment publicly should flag this lag explicitly."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Georgia's professional/technical services employment fell 11,600 year-over-year and federal government fell 9,400, a statewide trend that could pressure Valdosta's public- and government-adjacent payrolls given Moody Air Force Base's regional weight. No metro-specific federal employment data confirms this yet, but it merits monitoring."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "National wage-vs-inflation divergence (3.0% wage growth against 3.4% inflation) has not clearly reversed yet. Should that gap persist into Valdosta's Q4 wage data, consumer-facing retail and service sectors locally may see softer spending even amid low unemployment."}], "roles": [{"role": "Retail Sales Associate", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 21830.5, "metro_p50": 29504.0, "metro_p75": 36400.0, "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": 22597.0, "metro_p50": 24705.0, "metro_p75": 27351.5, "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": 31615.0, "metro_p50": 35585.0, "metro_p75": 37440.0, "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": 62224.0, "metro_p50": 81900.0, "metro_p75": 91916.0, "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": 26251.0, "metro_p50": 30599.0, "metro_p75": 31830.5, "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": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 31200.0, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 40335.0, "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": 54080.0, "metro_p50": 68346.8, "metro_p75": 71943.0, "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": 37003.0, "metro_p75": 38684.5, "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": 33280.0, "metro_p50": 37440.0, "metro_p75": 39193.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 24788.0, "metro_p50": 27110.2, "metro_p75": 35360.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 33756.2, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 28991.0, "metro_p50": 37556.0, "metro_p75": 41489.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "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": 32756.75, "metro_p50": 35736.0, "metro_p75": 37507.75, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 43680.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "HVAC Technician", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 56083.0, "metro_p50": 61202.2, "metro_p75": 70720.0, "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": 83219.5, "metro_p50": 89777.6, "metro_p75": 99174.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 102581.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Software Engineer", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 121389.0, "metro_p50": 129550.0, "metro_p75": 135576.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 153652.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Data Engineer", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 99151.0, "metro_p50": 135953.0, "metro_p75": 152955.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 139500.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 49920.5, "metro_p50": 69683.4, "metro_p75": 72813.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 72182.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 65810.25, "metro_p50": 69462.0, "metro_p75": 83431.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 94782.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "HR Generalist/Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 52704.0, "metro_p50": 54443.8, "metro_p75": 55534.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Marketing Specialist", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 46361.0, "metro_p50": 59253.0, "metro_p75": 70614.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 62354.4, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Operations Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 65000.0, "metro_p50": 81400.0, "metro_p75": 91730.25, "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": 24960.0, "metro_p50": 44982.0, "metro_p75": 58497.25, "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": 65000.0, "metro_p50": 87118.0, "metro_p75": 90625.0, "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": 54937.0, "metro_p50": 80500.0, "metro_p75": 99000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 75000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Business Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 80206.0, "metro_p50": 96510.0, "metro_p75": 107200.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 98279.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [{"sector": "Construction", "median_pay": 49956.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Manufacturing", "median_pay": 60070.0, "pay_trend_direction": "down", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Retail Trade", "median_pay": 36740.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities", "median_pay": 62341.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Information", "median_pay": 67130.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Financial Activities", "median_pay": 49593.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Professional & Business Services", "median_pay": 51960.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Education & Health Services", "median_pay": 59805.0, "pay_trend_direction": "up", "pay_trend_magnitude": "significant", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Leisure & Hospitality", "median_pay": 28080.0, "pay_trend_direction": "stable", "pay_trend_magnitude": "stable", "postings_trend_direction": "up", "postings_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"sector": "Government", "median_pay": 67687.0, "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": "valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "pdf": "valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf", "sources_html": "valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.sources.html"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T14:37:27.027339+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/valdosta-ga-msa/metro-job-market/2026-09.pdf"}