Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Hattiesburg, MS MSA — October 2026
Hattiesburg's low unemployment hides a shrinking labor pool.
Hattiesburg unemployment held at 2.9% in August, but the civilian labor force shrank and the metro added zero net jobs, echoing Mississippi's statewide 54.7% participation rate, the second-lowest in the nation.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Hattiesburg unemployment rate: 2.9% — vs 4.1% national, 3.3% Mississippi
- Metro job growth, August: 0 jobs — Down from +300 jobs in July 2026
- Mississippi labor force participation: 54.7% — Down from 55.7% a year earlier, 2nd-lowest US
- Metro private avg. weekly wage: $1,070.85 — June 2026, Mississippi Dept. of Employment Security
Key takeaways
Low unemployment is masking a shrinking workforce.
Civilian labor force fell both month-over-month and year-over-year even as unemployment held at 2.9%, meaning the tight rate reflects fewer people working or looking for work. Commerce leaders citing the unemployment rate as evidence of strength should pair it with participation data to avoid an incomplete picture.
Zero job growth in August signals a stalled expansion.
A 300-job gain in July gave way to flat employment in August, consistent with Mississippi's statewide 'no-hire, no-fire' pattern described by the state's chief economist. Neither growth nor contraction is occurring, which argues against both alarm and celebration in public economic messaging this quarter.
Wage trends are diverging sharply across the local business base.
HVAC technician pay rose significantly locally while administrative assistant, accountant, and teacher pay all fell significantly against flat or rising national figures. Uneven wage movement across sectors complicates any single narrative about cost-of-living or purchasing power for the metro's workforce.
Healthcare and education anchor the metro, but their wage signals move in opposite directions.
Registered nurse pay held stable locally while advertised teacher pay fell sharply, even as USM, William Carey, and Forrest County's healthcare and education base remain the metro's core employment anchors. Divergence between two anchor sectors is worth tracking as an early signal of where local cost pressure or budget strain is concentrating.
Median advertised pay by role — Hattiesburg, MS MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $20,800 | $25,873 | $29,206 | Moderate increase | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $20,927 | $23,829 | $26,642 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $24,023 | $31,313 | $34,195 | Moderate increase | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $62,400 | $80,000 | $83,200 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $28,494 | $31,710 | $35,296 | Significant decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $31,200 | $35,984 | $36,400 | Moderate increase | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $52,000 | $53,677 | $57,200 | Significant decline | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $30,420 | $30,420 | $30,420 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $32,240 | $34,500 | $39,751 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $24,960 | $25,947 | $26,309 | Stable | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $25,824 | $30,160 | $32,240 | Moderate decline | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $27,851 | $31,200 | $34,840 | Significant decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $46,069 | $62,400 | $64,325 | Significant increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $66,461 | $80,098 | $88,439 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer * | $112,505 | $155,000 | $168,330 | Significant increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $84,200 | $118,965 | $133,817 | Moderate decline | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $44,589 | $53,625 | $54,317 | Significant decline | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst * | $62,986 | $81,928 | $88,500 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $70,357 | $80,845 | $80,845 | Significant increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $40,902 | $69,856 | $79,405 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $68,896 | $68,896 | $68,896 | Significant decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $22,620 | $27,775 | $43,788 | Significant decline | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $37,500 | $80,000 | $80,000 | Stable | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $50,276 | $50,276 | $50,276 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $65,692 | $78,697 | $88,189 | Moderate decline | $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 | $67,500 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $50,528 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $33,766 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $60,018 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $79,196 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $36,504 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $52,212 | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Education & Health Services | $64,041 | Moderate decline | Stable |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $28,770 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $65,873 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Hattiesburg's 2.9% August unemployment rate sits well below the national 4.1% reading, but the civilian labor force contracted both month-over-month and year-over-year, and the metro added zero net jobs in August after a 300-job gain in July. Low joblessness alongside a shrinking labor pool and flat employment growth points to a metro where the availability of workers is the binding constraint on economic activity.
What it means
Shrinking labor force participation against near-full employment means Hattiesburg's growth ceiling is increasingly set by how many residents are available to work, a structural condition that pay incentives alone cannot resolve — a consideration for economic development recruiting that assumes slack capacity exists locally. Divergent local pay trends, HVAC technician pay up significantly while administrative and education wages fell, suggest uneven cost pressure across the commercial base even as headline unemployment looks healthy. Current conditions suggest monitoring labor force participation alongside unemployment when evaluating site-selection pitches or public messaging about the metro's capacity to absorb new employers.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Mississippi's 54.7% labor force participation rate, second-lowest nationally, has direct relevance for Hattiesburg given its own civilian labor force contraction. Watch whether state or regional workforce initiatives show any measurable effect on local participation in the next data cycle.
Early indicator: September BLS data for the metro has not yet been released; the next print will show whether August's zero-growth month was a pause or the start of a trend. Economic development messaging should hold off on firm growth claims until that data confirms direction.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide manufacturing accounts for the majority of 2026 Mississippi WARN notices, though none are concentrated in the Hattiesburg metro to date. Commerce leaders should monitor whether any regional manufacturing announcements extend into Forrest or Lamar counties.
Potential inflection point: Mississippi Development Authority's leadership transition following Director Bill Cork's departure comes amid a $65 billion data-center investment pipeline statewide. How the state positions incentive and site-selection strategy under new leadership could shape whether that capital reaches the Hattiesburg metro.
Sources
- Mississippi Today — Hattiesburg unemployment at 2.9% in August 2026 with labor force decline
- USA Facts / Bureau of Labor Statistics — Metro gained 300 jobs in July, zero in August 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Mississippi labor force participation fell to 54.7%, second-lowest nationally
- Corey Miller, Mississippi state economist — Mississippi in 'no-hire, no-fire' pattern per state chief economist
- Mississippi Development Authority / Governor's office — MDA Director Bill Cork departure amid $65B investment pipeline
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security — Hattiesburg private nonfarm average weekly wage of $1,070.85 in June 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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