Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Binghamton, NY MSA — October 2026
Binghamton wages climb as unemployment rises in tandem.
Broome County unemployment reached 4.5% in July, up from 3.5% a year earlier, even as average weekly wages grew 2.8% to $1,242 — a split that bears watching alongside national wage growth of 4.1%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Broome County unemployment: 4.5% — Up from 3.5% a year earlier (May 2025)
- Average weekly wage growth: 2.8% — $1,242/week, Q1 2026, vs. 4.1% national wage growth
- Manufacturing employment: 10,000 jobs — Broome County, seasonally adjusted, June 2026
- New York State unemployment: 4.3% — September 2026, vs. 4.1% national rate
Key takeaways
Unemployment and wages are rising together — an unusual pairing.
Broome County's jobless rate climbed a full percentage point year-over-year to 4.5% in July while average weekly wages grew 2.8%, a combination that typically signals labor-force churn rather than broad-based economic strength. Commerce leaders should treat this as a signal to watch local spending data closely rather than assume rising wages alone indicate a tightening market.
Manufacturing pay softness diverges from national stability.
Metro manufacturing production worker pay moved down moderately to a $35,360 median, well below the stable national median of $39,520, even as national manufacturing employment grew by roughly 9,000 jobs in September. Local wage softness amid national sector stability suggests the Binghamton manufacturing base may be facing company-specific or regional headwinds rather than an industry-wide downturn.
Healthcare pay strength confirms the sector's anchor role.
Registered Nurse pay held stable at a metro median of $105,820, above the national median of $102,252, consistent with healthcare's position as the region's most consistent employment driver alongside Guthrie and UHS. This stability offers a reliable baseline for assessing the health of the broader local labor market even as other sectors soften.
Accountant and Account Manager pay gains hint at local business formation.
Accountant pay rose significantly to a $77,886 metro median and Account Manager pay rose significantly to $90,000, both outpacing their national counterparts in direction if not always in level. Movement of this kind in professional-services pay often tracks new business activity or expanding commercial operations, worth cross-referencing against local business registration data.
Median advertised pay by role — Binghamton, NY MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $30,637 | $34,320 | $35,776 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $32,902 | $34,320 | $35,360 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $33,280 | $37,612 | $40,560 | Moderate decline | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $57,554 | $83,200 | $96,000 | Moderate decline | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $32,564 | $35,643 | $43,472 | Moderate decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $35,741 | $41,600 | $42,380 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $63,187 | $70,782 | $70,782 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $33,452 | $35,360 | $39,520 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $35,942 | $41,600 | $41,652 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $32,027 | $35,360 | $36,920 | Moderate decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $36,894 | $42,120 | $45,240 | Moderate decline | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $37,440 | $41,600 | $47,666 | Moderate decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $59,069 | $66,321 | $68,640 | Moderate decline | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $91,520 | $105,820 | $116,397 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $72,500 | $120,000 | $132,300 | Moderate decline | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $78,787 | $78,966 | $78,967 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $61,806 | $77,886 | $80,476 | Significant increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $71,815 | $76,331 | $80,269 | Significant decline | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $53,699 | $55,973 | $60,041 | Significant decline | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,127 | $59,170 | $70,338 | Stable | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $70,618 | $88,240 | $100,600 | Stable | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $34,320 | $44,030 | $55,750 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $72,500 | $90,000 | $98,499 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $44,913 | $72,172 | $75,063 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $78,882 | $93,486 | $93,486 | Stable | $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 | $49,920 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $106,244 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $36,974 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $43,160 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $55,011 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $49,795 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $49,798 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $61,757 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $34,320 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $68,313 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Broome County unemployment drifted to 4.5% in July 2026, up from 3.5% a year earlier, even as average weekly wages rose 2.8% year-over-year to $1,242 in the first quarter, a divergence that points to softening labor demand alongside persistent wage pressure in healthcare and skilled trades. Guthrie and United Health Services remain the region's most visible advertisers for talent, while last year's Sodexo WARN notice at Binghamton University — largely absorbed by incoming vendor Chartwells — illustrates how contract transitions can reshuffle local employment without reducing the area's overall job count.
What it means
Rising unemployment alongside wage growth above the metro's historical pace suggests a labor market cooling unevenly — manufacturing and clerical pay are softening locally while healthcare and skilled-trades compensation holds firm, a split that commerce leaders should factor into any read on consumer spending capacity across different parts of the local workforce. Public-sector and healthcare stability continue to anchor the metro's employment base even as private manufacturing wages (down moderately per local advertised-pay data) lag the national trend of modest gains. Local economic development groups may want to track whether wage softening in manufacturing and logistics roles reflects a broader pullback in regional freight and production activity, or a narrower adjustment tied to specific employers.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: November's BLS release will bring the first official October unemployment read for Broome County; a continued climb above 4.5% would confirm the mid-year softening rather than a seasonal blip.
Emerging pressure point: Manufacturing and logistics pay (Manufacturing Production Worker, Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate, CDL Truck Driver) are all moving down locally while holding stable or rising nationally — a pattern that merits tracking against any announced production or distribution changes among the metro's larger employers.
Potential inflection point: New York's statewide minimum wage freeze, triggered by job losses through July, creates a policy backdrop economic development leaders should monitor for how it interacts with Broome County's own soft labor market in coming months.
Early indicator: Healthcare and public-sector employment have anchored the region through past downturns; any softening in advertised pay for Registered Nurse or Certified Nursing Assistant roles, currently stable to down moderately, would be a meaningful signal of broader local economic stress.
Sources
- New York State Department of Labor — Broome County unemployment rate reached 4.5% in July 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Broome County average weekly wage was $1,242 in Q1 2026, up 2.8% YoY
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — National manufacturing employment added ~9,000 jobs in September 2026
- Spectrum Local News — Sodexo WARN notice at Binghamton University, workers rehired by Chartwells
- Washington Post — New York minimum wage increase frozen due to statewide job losses
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — New York State unemployment rate was 4.3% in September 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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