Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Longview, WA MSA — October 2026
Longview unemployment falls fast, but the drop may mask a shrinking workforce.
Cowlitz County's unemployment rate fell from 5.2% to 4.0% in September, outpacing Washington's statewide drop to 4.8%, even as state economists attribute the broader decline to labor-force contraction.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Cowlitz County unemployment: 4.0% — Down from 5.2% in August 2026
- Washington statewide unemployment: 4.8% — Third straight monthly decline, ESD
- Washington monthly job change: -15,400 — September 2026, seasonally adjusted
- Cowlitz avg. weekly wage: $1,343 — Highest among small WA counties, Q3 2025
Key takeaways
Cowlitz's unemployment drop outpaces the state, but context matters.
The county's rate fell from 5.2% to 4.0% in a single month, nearly a full point faster than Washington's modest decline to 4.8%. Statewide, Employment Security Department economists attribute falling unemployment to labor force shrinkage, a dynamic likely present locally as well.
Wage divide between metro sectors points to uneven cost pressure.
Registered Nurse pay fell locally even as national RN pay rose significantly, while Certified Nursing Assistant pay rose moderately in the metro — a split that complicates any single read on healthcare labor costs. Public-sector and healthcare stability remain a core watch item given statewide public-sector job losses of roughly 10,400 in September.
Construction and skilled trades show local softening against national gains.
Electrician pay fell moderately in Longview while rising nationally, and Construction Laborer pay also declined locally against a national increase. Divergence from national trade wage trends may reflect a softer local project pipeline, worth confirming against permitting and construction-spending data.
Food Service pay sits well above national norms, a legacy signal worth tracking.
Metro Food Service Worker median pay of $43,848 runs roughly 30% above the national figure of $33,764, a gap wide enough to warrant scrutiny of what's driving it locally — possibly a small, specialized advertised-pay sample. Commerce leaders should treat this as a data point to monitor until more months of data accumulate.
Median advertised pay by role — Longview, WA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $31,009 | $36,951 | $41,961 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $34,667 | $36,400 | $36,951 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $36,195 | $41,411 | $42,640 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $61,880 | $75,000 | $81,614 | Moderate increase | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $32,678 | $36,150 | $39,520 | Stable | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $33,030 | $42,605 | $45,760 | Moderate decline | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $65,479 | $79,471 | $89,461 | Moderate decline | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $39,520 | $41,600 | $42,640 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $36,639 | $41,446 | $47,580 | Significant decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker * | $35,630 | $43,848 | $46,166 | Stable | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $42,640 | $47,840 | $49,920 | Moderate increase | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $41,600 | $48,364 | $52,065 | Moderate increase | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician * | $64,719 | $77,584 | $83,200 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $90,110 | $104,208 | $110,240 | Moderate decline | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer * | $129,166 | $169,445 | $187,139 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,196 | $141,962 | $157,798 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $69,076 | $70,000 | $70,180 | Significant decline | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst * | $81,418 | $101,381 | $109,814 | Stable | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $65,081 | $67,192 | $69,543 | Significant decline | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,011 | $62,485 | $74,241 | Stable | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $83,648 | $101,095 | $112,134 | Significant decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $45,176 | $77,107 | $90,917 | Significant increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $61,745 | $67,101 | $102,992 | Moderate decline | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $62,400 | $76,250 | $80,000 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $95,000 | $95,000 | $95,000 | 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 | $73,673 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $73,374 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $41,080 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $51,106 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $54,453 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $52,085 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $57,751 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $49,681 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $36,920 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Government | $70,964 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Cowlitz County's unemployment rate dropped sharply from 5.2% in August to 4.0% in September, a faster improvement than the statewide trend, even as Washington's overall labor force contracted and the state shed 15,400 jobs in the same month. Local wage data shows Cowlitz carrying the highest average weekly wage among smaller Washington counties at $1,343 as of Q3 2025, consistent with the metro's traditional industrial and food-processing wage base.
What it means
Falling local unemployment alongside statewide labor-force contraction suggests Longview's improvement may reflect fewer residents actively seeking work as much as stronger local demand, a distinction that matters for anyone reading the headline rate as a straightforward growth signal. Commerce leaders evaluating expansion or investment timing should weigh this against Washington's broader 'low hire/low fire' posture, where job growth is projected near 0.1% for 2026 — a tight, largely static environment. Current conditions suggest monitoring Cowlitz County's labor force participation figures alongside the unemployment rate before treating the September improvement as a clear signal of accelerating local economic momentum.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Cowlitz County's unemployment decline holds through October reporting or reverses, since a single-month drop driven by labor-force exit would read very differently from one driven by new hiring.
Potential inflection point: Washington's minimum wage rises to $17.73 per hour on January 1, 2027, a 3.5% increase that will touch retail, food service and warehouse pay structures across the metro's advertised-pay basket.
Worth watching: Statewide public-sector job losses of roughly 10,400 in September raise questions about local government and education employment stability in Cowlitz County, a traditionally steady employment base for the metro.
Emerging pressure point: Gebbers Farms' 3,445-worker WARN filing in Brewster, effective November 25, is the largest in the state and underscores agricultural-sector volatility; local commerce leaders should watch whether displaced regional agricultural labor shows up in southwest Washington job-seeking activity.
Sources
- The Daily World — Cowlitz County unemployment fell from 5.2% to 4.0%
- Washington Employment Security Department — Cowlitz carried highest average weekly wage among small WA counties
- Washington Employment Security Department — Washington job growth projected at 0.1% for 2026, 'low hire/low fire'
- Washington Employment Security Department — Washington lost 15,400 jobs in September 2026 while unemployment fell
- Washington Department of Labor & Industries — Washington minimum wage rising to $17.73/hour Jan. 1, 2027
- Washington WARN Act registry — Gebbers Farms WARN notice for 3,445 workers effective Nov. 25, 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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