Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Longview, WA MSA — September 2026
Longview jobs grow as Washington state cools around it.
Cowlitz County unemployment fell to 4.3% in July and payrolls hit 42,400, even as Washington state shed about 14,500 jobs statewide in September and real wages slipped 0.5% against inflation.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Cowlitz County unemployment rate: 4.3% — Down from 5.0% in June 2026
- Local nonfarm payrolls: 42,400 jobs — Up 200 jobs month-over-month, July 2026
- Washington statewide job change: -14,500 jobs — September 2026, 44th among states in growth
- Washington real wage growth: -0.5% — 3.1% wage growth vs 3.5% inflation
Key takeaways
Longview's job growth is bucking the state's cooling trend.
Cowlitz County unemployment dropped to 4.3% in July while Washington lost roughly 14,500 jobs statewide in September. The gap may reflect the metro's manufacturing and healthcare base holding steadier than the state's retail and information sectors, which posted year-over-year losses.
Real wages are eroding even where employment looks solid.
Washington wage growth of 3.1% is running below the state's 3.5% inflation rate, and several widely-held local roles — Operations Manager, Customer Service Representative, Accountant — show significant advertised pay declines. Local payroll stability may be masking a slow squeeze on household purchasing power that matters for retail and consumer-facing commerce.
Healthcare and skilled trades are the metro's wage bright spots.
Certified Nursing Assistant, HVAC Technician, and Elementary/Secondary Teacher pay all posted moderate-to-significant local increases, outpacing national figures in two of three cases. That pattern tracks the national split between hands-on, licensed-labor demand and softer white-collar postings, suggesting the metro's healthcare and public-education sectors remain structurally tight.
One manufacturing disruption is still an open question for local data.
The May 2026 Nippon Dynawave production halt after a fatal chemical tank implosion has not yet shown up clearly in payroll figures through July. Commerce and workforce planners should treat current manufacturing employment counts as provisional until fall data confirms whether the facility has resumed full operations.
Median advertised pay by role — Longview, WA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $31,080 | $36,951 | $39,520 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $33,388 | $36,400 | $37,716 | Stable | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $36,951 | $39,815 | $42,640 | Moderate decline | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $61,746 | $75,000 | $82,188 | Stable | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $32,640 | $35,630 | $37,651 | Moderate decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $33,030 | $40,103 | $45,760 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $65,479 | $76,544 | $85,034 | Moderate decline | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $37,440 | $41,485 | $41,600 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $36,951 | $42,349 | $47,840 | Significant decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker * | $34,701 | $43,680 | $45,760 | Stable | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $41,647 | $47,840 | $50,177 | Moderate increase | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $41,600 | $45,760 | $51,308 | Moderate decline | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician * | $64,474 | $76,960 | $83,200 | Moderate increase | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $88,094 | $104,622 | $114,044 | Moderate decline | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer * | $125,000 | $165,594 | $183,300 | Moderate increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,264 | $142,500 | $158,888 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $69,992 | $70,000 | $71,240 | Moderate decline | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst * | $81,813 | $101,200 | $107,253 | Moderate increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $65,081 | $68,649 | $70,123 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,742 | $62,389 | $74,241 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $79,389 | $100,489 | $105,250 | Significant decline | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $45,760 | $76,635 | $88,705 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $57,500 | $78,054 | $118,870 | Moderate decline | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $51,506 | $75,000 | $80,000 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $84,257 | $102,200 | $112,400 | Moderate increase | $98,279 |
* 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 | $75,920 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $69,698 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $41,132 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $58,000 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $56,818 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $60,470 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $57,089 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $47,902 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $37,960 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $73,087 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Cowlitz County's unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in July 2026, the second straight monthly decline, and local payrolls grew to 42,400 jobs even as Washington state shed roughly 14,500 jobs in September and ranked 44th nationally in job growth. The divergence appears to reflect Longview's manufacturing and timber-dependent base moving on a different cycle than the state's tech- and retail-heavy metros, though the May 2026 Nippon Dynawave production halt following a chemical tank incident remains a local wildcard not yet reflected in official payroll counts.
What it means
Local job growth outpacing a softening state picture suggests Longview's business climate may be more resilient than headline Washington numbers imply, which matters for commerce leaders weighing expansion or relocation decisions in the metro. At the same time, wage-vs-inflation erosion statewide (3.1% wage growth against 3.5% inflation) and significant local pay declines in roles like Operations Manager and Customer Service Representative point to softening purchasing power that could temper retail and service-sector revenue even as employment holds up. Consider tracking local consumer spending indicators alongside payroll counts, since job stability alone may not translate into stronger business conditions if real wages continue to lag inflation.
Looking ahead
Expected: August and September 2026 BLS data for the Longview MSA has not yet posted; when released, watch whether the county's improving unemployment trend (5.0% to 4.3%) held through the state's broader September job losses.
Emerging pressure point: Washington's WARN filings were heaviest in September statewide, including healthcare system MultiCare's 138-worker notice; monitor whether similar notices surface locally given Cowlitz County's reliance on manufacturing and healthcare payrolls.
Worth watching: Nippon Dynawave's operational status following the May production halt remains unresolved in public data; its resumption or continued idling will materially affect Cowlitz County's manufacturing employment count, a sector representing 23.3% of tracked local jobs.
Potential inflection point: Statewide real wages are now declining roughly 0.5% annually against inflation; if that pattern persists locally through fall, consumer-facing retail and hospitality revenue in the metro may soften even if employment counts stay stable.
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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