Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Morristown, TN MSA — September 2026
Morristown holds steady as national job growth stalls.
Morristown's unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% in August, still well below the national 4.2% rate, even as U.S. payroll growth slowed to just 29,000 jobs in September and wage growth fell behind a 3.4% inflation rate.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Morristown MSA unemployment: 3.7% — Aug 2026, up 0.1pt YoY; vs 4.2% national
- National payroll growth: 29,000 jobs — Sept 2026, below 45k 12-mo average
- National wage vs inflation gap: 3.0% vs 3.4% — Wage growth trails inflation, weakest since 2021
- Tennessee statewide unemployment: 3.4%-3.5% — Aug/June 2026, well below national rate
Key takeaways
Morristown's unemployment uptick looks mild against the national slowdown.
The metro's 3.7% rate, up only a tenth of a point year-over-year, compares favorably to a national unemployment rate of 4.2% and a September payroll report showing just 29,000 jobs added nationally. Local labor market conditions appear more stable than the national trajectory, not less.
Skilled trades and professional pay are pulling away from retail and service wages.
Electricians, accountants, and financial analysts all post significant local pay gains while retail associates, cashiers, and food service workers sit flat. This divergence is consistent with the national pattern of hands-on and specialized labor outpacing lower-wage consumer-facing roles, with implications for local consumer spending capacity.
Heavy in-commuting signals Morristown functions as a regional employment hub, not a self-contained market.
Over 19,000 workers commute into Hamblen County versus roughly 13,000 working residents, meaning local economic health depends partly on conditions in surrounding counties. Commerce leaders assessing business climate should weigh regional labor supply, not just county-level statistics.
Manufacturing wage strength locally cuts against a statewide contraction narrative.
Tennessee manufacturing employment has softened statewide, yet Morristown's manufacturing production/assembler pay is trending up moderately. That contrast may suggest the metro's industrial employers are retaining pricing power or facing tighter skilled-labor supply even as the sector cools elsewhere.
Median advertised pay by role — Morristown, TN MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $22,131 | $26,000 | $28,080 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $19,483 | $23,880 | $24,960 | Stable | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $32,224 | $37,801 | $38,083 | Moderate increase | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $55,258 | $81,153 | $92,690 | Stable | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,361 | $32,843 | $34,014 | Moderate increase | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $30,204 | $35,360 | $38,480 | Moderate decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $50,960 | $65,745 | $66,736 | Significant increase | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,460 | $38,049 | $38,105 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $32,500 | $35,787 | $39,000 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $27,874 | $29,120 | $31,720 | Stable | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $32,595 | $34,220 | $35,360 | Stable | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $31,200 | $36,400 | $37,747 | Significant decline | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician * | $55,487 | $64,347 | $67,600 | Moderate decline | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $76,418 | $85,991 | $91,774 | Moderate increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $87,360 | $166,018 | $183,071 | Significant increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $90,330 | $129,576 | $144,120 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $66,282 | $73,740 | $82,500 | Significant increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $91,677 | $107,909 | $109,511 | Significant increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $57,297 | $106,909 | $106,909 | Moderate decline | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,639 | $60,000 | $70,563 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $63,010 | $77,938 | $85,000 | Moderate increase | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $35,000 | $50,454 | $54,137 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $60,000 | $138,657 | $139,958 | Significant increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $50,835 | $66,854 | $73,610 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $76,649 | $95,462 | $106,400 | Stable | $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 | $52,000 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $63,180 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $33,627 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $38,499 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $73,332 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $54,750 | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $57,200 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $63,440 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $29,120 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Government | $63,039 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Morristown MSA unemployment held at 3.7% in August, a tenth above a year ago, as manufacturing — still 23.7% of metro employment — shows signs of plateauing alongside a statewide contraction in the sector. Regional pull remains notable, with Hamblen County drawing more than 19,000 in-commuters against roughly 13,000 residents working locally, even as national payroll growth has slowed to a crawl and real wages nationally have slipped behind a 3.4% inflation rate.
What it means
Manufacturing wage gains locally (production/assembler pay up moderately) alongside national manufacturing softness suggests the metro's industrial base is holding steadier than the broader sector trend, a relevant data point for economic development officials weighing site-selection pitches or expansion incentives. Commerce leaders evaluating local business climate should note that wage momentum is concentrated in skilled trades and professional roles (electricians, accountants, financial analysts all up significantly) rather than broad-based retail or food-service pay, pointing to an uneven recovery in consumer-facing spending power. Current conditions suggest monitoring whether in-commuting levels hold steady, since any softening would signal reduced regional draw rather than a purely local labor supply issue.
Looking ahead
Expected: September BLS metro unemployment figures for Morristown are due in mid-October; watch whether the August uptick to 3.7% extends into a trend or proves a one-month blip.
Worth watching: Tennessee WARN filings have affected nearly 6,000 workers statewide this year, concentrated in manufacturing and transportation. No Morristown-specific filings have surfaced yet, but commerce leaders should track whether regional manufacturing softness reaches Hamblen County employers.
Emerging pressure point: National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, the weakest pace since 2021. If that gap persists, local consumer spending — a key input for retail and hospitality employers in the metro — could soften over the next two quarters.
Early indicator: Statewide average weekly wages fell 0.7% year-over-year as of June even as some counties posted strong gains, a divergence worth watching for whether Hamblen County tracks the statewide softening or the stronger-performing counties.
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.
Free to read and cite with attribution to WageScape. Terms of use.