Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Ames, IA MSA — October 2026
Ames unemployment looks tight, but job counts are shrinking.
Ames MSA unemployment held at 3.0% in September, tighter than Iowa's 3.2% and the nation's 4.1%, even as the metro shed 800 jobs in August against record statewide healthcare and construction employment.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Ames MSA unemployment rate: 3.0% — vs 3.2% Iowa, 4.1% national (Sept. 2026)
- Ames metro job change: -800 jobs — August 2026, against statewide employment gains
- Iowa labor force participation: 66.9% — down from 67.8% a year earlier
- Iowa statewide unemployment: 3.2% — 5th straight month, up from 3.1% a year ago
Key takeaways
Ames unemployment looks strong but job counts tell a different story.
3.0% unemployment sits below both state (3.2%) and national (4.1%) rates, yet the metro lost 800 jobs in August — a divergence that points toward workers leaving the labor force rather than a hiring boom. Commerce leaders reading only the headline rate risk overstating local economic momentum.
Public-sector anchor gives Ames insulation other metros lack.
Iowa State University and state government employment (7,837 workers) provide a stability buffer as national data shows information and professional services sectors contracting. This concentration cuts both ways: budget decisions at the university or statehouse carry outsized weight on metro-wide labor conditions.
Registered nurse pay surge reflects a statewide healthcare expansion pattern.
Metro RN advertised pay rose significantly to $114,637, exceeding the national median of $102,252, consistent with Iowa's healthcare sector reaching all-time employment highs statewide. For commerce leaders, this signals healthcare remains the one sector adding capacity even as other local employment contracts.
Manufacturing and clerical pay softness mirrors Iowa's broader sector headwinds.
Manufacturing production worker pay fell moderately to $36,595 locally against a stable national figure, while administrative assistant pay dropped moderately to $39,312 against a rising national trend. Both track statewide manufacturing WARN activity (54 notices, 4,255 workers year-to-date) and suggest softening demand in goods-producing and back-office functions locally.
Median advertised pay by role — Ames, IA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $25,134 | $29,502 | $34,195 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $26,220 | $30,160 | $31,200 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $30,496 | $34,149 | $36,219 | Significant decline | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $60,121 | $80,000 | $90,766 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,784 | $32,346 | $41,108 | Stable | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $33,854 | $44,219 | $45,380 | Moderate increase | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $57,859 | $70,984 | $75,565 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,746 | $36,595 | $40,560 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $29,880 | $34,584 | $37,440 | Significant decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $29,412 | $29,623 | $32,529 | Stable | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $34,950 | $41,147 | $44,200 | Moderate increase | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $30,589 | $39,312 | $41,507 | Moderate decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $60,756 | $63,500 | $63,500 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $88,445 | $114,637 | $122,841 | Significant increase | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $101,798 | $121,326 | $140,582 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $118,965 | $134,465 | $137,908 | Moderate decline | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $53,513 | $59,861 | $65,489 | Moderate increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $77,522 | $89,472 | $93,481 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $62,102 | $75,000 | $75,000 | Significant increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $47,060 | $59,353 | $70,824 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $64,060 | $94,434 | $101,503 | Moderate increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $32,240 | $47,545 | $52,540 | Moderate increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $66,874 | $94,836 | $110,310 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $77,219 | $95,278 | $99,150 | Significant increase | $98,302 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $60,440 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $82,597 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $46,800 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $72,360 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $111,120 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $69,705 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $63,763 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $51,000 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $33,469 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Government | $67,689 | Significant increase | Moderate decline |
Local market conditions
Ames MSA unemployment sat at 3.0% in September, tighter than Iowa's statewide 3.2% and well below the national 4.1%, even as the metro shed 800 jobs in August against a backdrop of record statewide employment in healthcare and construction. State government and Iowa State University remain the metro's largest employment anchor alongside private trade, meaning local labor market trajectory is more sensitive to public-sector and university budget decisions than most Iowa metros.
What it means
Local job loss amid a historically low unemployment rate suggests a tightening of available labor supply, a dynamic that affects commercial expansion timelines more than it signals economic distress. Public-sector and university employment stability provides a buffer against national white-collar softness (information, professional services), which should reassure commerce leaders evaluating the metro's resilience to broader sector pullbacks. Current conditions suggest local economic development planning should track labor force participation alongside unemployment, since a tight rate can coexist with fewer available workers.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: August's 800-job metro contraction warrants a follow-up look at September and October county-level data from Iowa Workforce Development to determine whether this was a one-month blip or the start of a trend distinct from the state's healthcare-and-construction-led gains.
Emerging pressure point: Iowa's labor force participation rate fell to 66.9% from 67.8% a year ago, concentrated among workers aged 45 to 54. Ames, with its university-driven demographic mix, should be watched for whether this statewide retirement-and-reeducation pattern shows up distinctly in county labor force data.
Worth watching: Wells Fargo's Iowa layoffs reached 460 workers for the year following an 86-person West Des Moines notice, concentrated outside the Ames MSA but a signal of financial-sector softness statewide. Local commerce leaders should track whether similar notices appear in Story County filings.
Potential inflection point: National CPI continues to outpace wage growth (3.5% to 3.7% inflation versus 1.5% to 2.4% wage gains depending on measure), a dynamic that compresses consumer spending power. Ames retail and hospitality advertisers, measured by job ads, which track demand and often cover several openings each, where metro pay for roles like customer service representative fell significantly to $34,584, warrant monitoring for softening local consumer demand.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Ames MSA unemployment rate at 3.0% in September 2026
- USA Facts / BLS — Ames metro lost 800 jobs in August 2026
- Iowa Workforce Development — Iowa healthcare and construction employment reached all-time highs
- Iowa Workforce Development — Iowa labor force participation fell to 66.9% from 67.8%
- Rolling Out — Wells Fargo Iowa layoffs reached 460 workers for the year
- Iowa Workforce Development — Iowa statewide unemployment at 3.2% for fifth consecutive month
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. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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