Youngstown unemployment climbs to 4.8% as wages lag the nation.
4.8%
Metro unemployment rate
vs 4.1% national, 3.3% Ohio (August 2026)
$1,064
Mahoning County avg weekly wage
vs $1,654 U.S. average, ranks 361st nationally
-1.76% annualized
Projected metro employment growth
2nd-steepest contraction among Ohio's 8 largest metros
5.1%
Trumbull County unemployment
up from 5.0% in June, among Ohio's highest
This Month's Takeaways
01
Falling unemployment in Ohio isn't the good news it looks like.
Ohio's jobless rate fell to 3.3% in August largely because 95,000 workers exited the labor force over the past year, not because hiring strengthened; Youngstown's own unemployment climb to 4.8% while county labor pools shrink points to the same dynamic playing out locally. Commerce leaders should treat improving headline rates skeptically until participation data confirms real demand growth.
02
Youngstown's wage floor remains a structural, not cyclical, problem.
Mahoning County's $1,064 average weekly wage ranks 361st nationally, roughly 36% below the U.S. average, a gap that predates this month's softening and reflects the metro's industrial mix rather than a temporary dip. Any regional competitiveness pitch to employers or investors needs to account for this persistent pay gap directly rather than around it.
03
Skilled trades are the one bright spot worth highlighting publicly.
HVAC technician pay locally hit $105,000, running well above the $70,720 national median, and electrician pay rose significantly to $72,697, both outpacing broader metro wage stagnation. This divergence is consistent with data-center and construction-linked demand cited statewide, giving commerce leaders a credible, specific growth story to point to even amid a soft headline economy.
04
Metro employment contraction is projected to outpace most Ohio peers.
State forecasts show the Youngstown-Warren MSA contracting at an annualized 1.76% rate, among the steepest of Ohio's eight largest metros, even as Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton post gains. That divergence matters for any regional economic development comparison or investment pitch that assumes Youngstown moves in lockstep with the rest of the state.
Local Economic Conditions
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman's unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in August, with Mahoning (4.6%) and Trumbull (5.1%) counties running well above both the 3.3% Ohio average and national 4.1%, even as state-level job growth across Ohio has slowed to just 2,200 positions added in August. Metro average weekly wages remain near the bottom of national rankings at $1,064 in Mahoning County, underscoring a local economy where softer labor demand and historically depressed pay levels are compounding rather than offsetting each other.
Open Threads in the Data
Elevated unemployment paired with continued wage divergence from national levels is consistent with a metro economy expanding more slowly than the state and national baseline, a signal commerce leaders should weigh before treating any single month's improvement as a turnaround. Public-sector and health care stability, alongside pockets of strength in skilled trades such as HVAC and electrical work, suggest the local business climate still rewards targeted investment even as broad consumer-facing momentum cools. Current conditions suggest economic development and chamber leadership should track sector-level divergence closely rather than relying on headline unemployment figures, which can mask underlying labor force contraction.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 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 |
$28,080 |
→ Stable |
3,274 |
| Retail Cashier |
$27,484 |
↓ Moderate decline |
1,353 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
475 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$85,000 |
→ Stable |
4,916 |
| Delivery Driver |
$32,240 |
↓ Moderate decline |
1,831 |
| Warehouse Manager |
$52,937 |
↓ Significant decline |
12 |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
314 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$72,697 |
↑ Significant increase |
482 |
| HVAC Technician |
$105,000 |
↑ Significant increase |
97 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
450 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$33,446 |
→ Stable |
550 |
| Operations Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$29,119 |
↓ Significant decline |
74 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
1,262 |
| Registered Nurse |
$90,078 |
↑ Significant increase |
3,695 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$38,482 |
↓ Moderate decline |
423 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$149,363 |
↑ Moderate increase |
20,882 |
| Data Engineer |
$133,120 |
↑ Moderate increase |
7,501 |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$59,862 |
→ Stable |
194 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$53,529 |
→ Stable |
102 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$47,524 |
↑ Significant increase |
10 |
| Business Analyst |
$96,998 |
→ Stable |
14 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$81,719 |
↑ Significant increase |
31 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$46,446 |
↑ Significant increase |
1,691 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$74,206 |
↑ Significant increase |
132 |
Industry Snapshot · Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 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 |
↑ +6.4% |
↑ +102.1% |
| Manufacturing |
↓ −3.5% |
↑ +77.9% |
| Retail Trade |
→ +2.2% |
↑ +94.1% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↑ +4.0% |
↑ +130.2% |
| Information |
→ −3.0% |
↑ +134.2% |
| Financial Activities |
↓ −16.7% |
↑ +36.4% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↓ −5.2% |
↑ +95.5% |
| Education & Health Services |
→ +2.6% |
↑ +65.9% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
→ 0.0% |
↑ +67.8% |
| Government |
↑ +80.3% |
↑ +888.2% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Worth watching
Trumbull County's 5.1% unemployment rate is among the highest in Ohio; watch whether the gap to Mahoning's 4.6% widens or narrows over the next two reporting cycles, which would clarify whether softness is countywide or concentrated.
Emerging pressure point
Ohio WARN notices total 18 over the past 90 days, led by manufacturing (23 notices statewide) and transportation/logistics; local economic development offices should monitor whether any new filings touch Mahoning or Trumbull County directly.
Potential inflection point
National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, the first real-wage erosion in two years; if that pattern reaches the metro, already-soft consumer-facing sectors like retail and food service could see further pay compression.
Early indicator
Construction and manufacturing wage strength statewide is linked to data-center buildout; watch for any site-selection or capital investment announcements in the Mahoning Valley corridor that would confirm this trend is reaching Youngstown specifically.
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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