Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Anderson, IN MSA — October 2026
Anderson unemployment rises as labor force shrinks
Madison County's jobless rate climbed to 3.7% from 2.80% in April even as Indiana's statewide labor force contracted, while skilled-trades pay like Electrician ($79,872) and HVAC Technician ($87,500) kept rising.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Madison County unemployment: 3.7% — Up from 2.80% in April 2026
- Indiana labor force change: -18,900 — Year-over-year, despite falling jobless rate earlier in 2026
- Indiana open job postings: 106,223 — As of Sept. 30, statewide
- National wage vs. inflation gap: 1.5% vs 3.5% — Q3 median earnings growth vs. CPI increase
Key takeaways
Madison County's jobless rate climbed without a clear growth signal.
Unemployment rose from 2.80% in April to 3.7% in September, mirroring a statewide pattern where Indiana's labor force shrank 18,900 year-over-year even as the unemployment rate ticked up. This points to population or participation dynamics as the likely driver, apart from a sudden drop in local hiring demand.
Healthcare and manufacturing remain the metro's stabilizing sectors.
Statewide, Private Educational and Health Services (+3,700) and Manufacturing (+3,500) drove nearly all private job growth in the latest month, a pattern that aligns with Anderson's base of employers including Saint Johns Health System and NTN Bearing. Registered Nurse pay in the metro rose moderately to $106,470, suggesting continued demand pressure in the sector most insulated from national white-collar softness.
Wage gains in skilled trades outpace the metro's broader pay picture.
Electrician advertised pay rose significantly to $79,872 and HVAC Technician pay held at $87,500, both well above national medians, while Delivery Driver and Warehouse Manager pay fell significantly. The divergence suggests the metro's construction and skilled-trades segment is tightening even as logistics-adjacent work softens, a relevant signal for any infrastructure or facility planning timeline.
Real wages statewide and nationally are losing ground to inflation.
National median weekly earnings rose 1.5% in Q3 against 3.5% CPI growth, and no fresh Indiana wage data has been released to suggest the state is bucking that trend. For commerce leaders, this erosion in purchasing power is a direct read on local consumer spending capacity, complementing the unemployment rate.
Median advertised pay by role — Anderson, IN MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $20,656 | $25,827 | $30,170 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $24,280 | $26,611 | $30,130 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $34,611 | $38,545 | $39,780 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $58,480 | $78,525 | $92,160 | Moderate decline | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,646 | $31,556 | $35,086 | Significant decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $35,248 | $39,936 | $45,760 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $64,106 | $79,872 | $83,000 | Significant increase | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $35,360 | $39,980 | $41,600 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $33,272 | $39,146 | $41,600 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $29,557 | $31,081 | $31,200 | Moderate decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $33,903 | $40,101 | $41,860 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $38,262 | $41,709 | $43,032 | Moderate increase | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $72,500 | $87,500 | $87,500 | Stable | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $85,280 | $106,470 | $114,040 | Moderate increase | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $77,238 | $86,851 | $126,878 | Significant increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $94,031 | $128,500 | $143,256 | Moderate increase | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $39,706 | $63,565 | $80,000 | Moderate increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $84,901 | $85,465 | $85,466 | Stable | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $58,484 | $71,970 | $73,485 | Moderate increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $46,090 | $57,438 | $65,633 | Stable | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $77,596 | $83,253 | $92,092 | Moderate increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $39,000 | $55,012 | $59,976 | Moderate increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $35,805 | $72,986 | $134,688 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $64,250 | $67,500 | $83,285 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $90,384 | $113,970 | $113,970 | Moderate 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 | $75,000 | Moderate decline | Significant decline |
| Manufacturing | $44,460 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $36,400 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $73,776 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $51,500 | Significant decline | Significant decline |
| Financial Activities | $47,009 | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $61,952 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $65,041 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $31,464 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $65,155 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Madison County's unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in September, matching the state average and climbing from 2.80% in April, a shift that coincides with Indiana's first statewide unemployment increase since August 2024 and a labor force that has contracted even as the jobless rate moved higher. Private Educational and Health Services and Manufacturing led statewide job gains in the same period, a pattern consistent with Anderson's established employer base of healthcare systems and manufacturers like Nestle and NTN Bearing, while advertised pay for Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler roles in the metro rose moderately against a flat national trend.
What it means
Rising local unemployment paired with a shrinking labor force signals a market where available workers are not necessarily entering the workforce in greater numbers, a dynamic consistent with demographic and participation pressure. For commerce leaders evaluating expansion or investment timing, this suggests Anderson's labor supply may stay constrained even if headline unemployment ticks up, while public-sector and healthcare employment stability offers a steadier anchor for local economic planning than manufacturing or logistics. Current conditions suggest economic development officials should track whether Madison County's unemployment uptick reflects new entrants or exits from the labor force before drawing conclusions about local demand.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Madison County's unemployment rate continues climbing in the October release (due with the BLS metro report December 2) or whether September proves a one-month anomaly, as Indiana's statewide increase was not flagged as statistically significant by BLS.
Expected release: BLS CPI data due November 10 will clarify whether the national wage-inflation gap narrowed or widened entering the fourth quarter, a figure with direct bearing on local retail and services spending in Anderson.
Worth watching: Indiana's 106,223 open job postings as of September 30, a signal of hiring demand (one posting often covers several openings), indicate continued statewide labor demand despite the participation pullback; tracking whether Madison County's share of those postings grows will clarify if Anderson is keeping pace with or lagging the state's broader labor market.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide WARN notices are down 11% year-over-year, a sign of relative stability, but American Woodmark's October filing in nearby Gas City affecting 207 workers warrants tracking for any ripple effect on Madison County's manufacturing labor pool.
Sources
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development — Madison County unemployment rate reached 3.7% in September 2026
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development — Madison County unemployment was 2.80% in April 2026
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development — Indiana labor force shrank 18,900 year-over-year
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development — Private Educational and Health Services and Manufacturing led September job growth
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development — Indiana had 106,223 open job postings as of September 30, 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — National median weekly earnings rose 1.5% vs 3.5% CPI growth in Q3 2026
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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