Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI MSA — October 2026
Muskegon's falling jobless rate hides a shrinking workforce.
Muskegon-Norton Shores unemployment dropped to 4.6% in September, a 0.7-point year-over-year improvement, but a 8.2% labor force decline through July suggests the gain reflects fewer workers counted rather than hiring gains.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 4.6% — Down 0.7 pts YoY, Sept 2026; sharpest drop in Michigan
- Metro labor force decline: -8.2% — YoY through July 2026, largest among MI metros
- Michigan unemployment rate: 5.0% — 0.8 pts above national 4.2% (Sept 2026)
- Metro manufacturing employment: 14,300 — July 2026, after Pace Industries' 145-job closure
Key takeaways
Falling unemployment in Muskegon reflects a shrinking labor force.
The metro's 0.7-point year-over-year unemployment improvement coincided with the state's steepest labor force contraction, 8.2% through July. A smaller denominator appears to be driving the favorable headline number, with job creation playing a limited role.
Manufacturing closures are reshaping the metro's industrial base.
Pace Industries' 145-job closure and Michigan Spring & Stamping's 116-worker shutdown mark concentrated losses in a sector that still employed 14,300 workers as of July. Metro manufacturing production worker pay rose moderately even as facility counts contracted, consistent with fewer, better-compensated positions remaining.
Muskegon's wage story diverges sharply from its weakest-performing roles.
Registered nurse pay rose moderately and manufacturing production pay rose moderately locally, while administrative assistant pay fell significantly and marketing specialist pay fell significantly. The spread suggests uneven demand across the metro's occupational base.
State-level labor force erosion frames Muskegon's trajectory as part of a broader pattern.
Michigan's labor force shrank 158,000 over the past year and participation fell to 58.5%, with Muskegon registering among the sharpest regional declines. Local economic development messaging built solely around the unemployment rate risks overstating labor market health to outside investors who will check participation data.
Median advertised pay by role — Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $24,074 | $29,120 | $31,200 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $25,730 | $29,390 | $31,070 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $31,001 | $36,400 | $36,920 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $56,918 | $84,891 | $94,200 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $28,088 | $32,359 | $34,530 | Moderate decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $34,780 | $39,520 | $39,520 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $61,527 | $72,105 | $75,660 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $32,683 | $38,734 | $43,680 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $34,320 | $36,029 | $37,440 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $27,670 | $31,200 | $33,494 | Moderate increase | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $31,281 | $35,477 | $37,440 | Moderate decline | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $36,026 | $40,144 | $43,680 | Significant decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician * | $59,846 | $67,406 | $73,840 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $76,981 | $87,409 | $96,506 | Moderate increase | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $161,321 | $185,460 | $206,527 | Significant increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,151 | $136,328 | $154,349 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $59,033 | $65,218 | $67,648 | Moderate decline | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $72,710 | $91,471 | $102,500 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $50,595 | $66,593 | $72,828 | Stable | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 | Significant decline | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $60,000 | $75,349 | $92,184 | Moderate decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $46,950 | $63,625 | $63,626 | Significant increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $32,708 | $60,000 | $73,349 | Stable | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $43,753 | $65,000 | $65,000 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $72,500 | $92,496 | $105,164 | 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 | $69,098 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $53,278 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $34,882 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $47,840 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $152,598 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $48,543 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $42,666 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $55,198 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $31,200 | Stable | Moderate decline |
| Government | $65,497 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Muskegon-Norton Shores unemployment fell to 4.6% in September, a 0.7-point year-over-year decline that stood out as the sharpest improvement among Michigan metros, but this was accompanied by a labor force drop of 8.2% through July, the steepest in the state. Manufacturing attrition, including Pace Industries' closure of two facilities affecting 145 workers and an earlier Michigan Spring & Stamping shutdown of 116 positions, has thinned the local payroll base even as fewer residents remain in or are counted in the active labor force.
What it means
A falling unemployment rate paired with a shrinking labor force is consistent with residents leaving the workforce or the metro, a pattern distinct from a tightening job market pulling more people into work, a distinction that matters for anyone reading Muskegon's headline rate as a sign of strength. Commerce leaders evaluating site selection, expansion, or public investment should treat the 4.6% figure alongside the 8.2% labor force decline as a single data point, since advertised wage gains in manufacturing production work (up, moderate) and registered nursing (up, moderate) suggest employers are competing for a smaller available pool. Consider reviewing labor force participation trends alongside unemployment data when briefing stakeholders on the metro's economic capacity for growth.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Muskegon's October unemployment reading, due in late November, continues to improve alongside further labor force contraction or whether participation stabilizes. A continued decline in the labor force while unemployment falls would reinforce the outmigration/participation story over a demand recovery.
Worth watching: Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget data release in late November will show whether Muskegon's manufacturing employment stabilizes near 14,300 or continues sliding following the Pace Industries and Michigan Spring & Stamping closures.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide payroll contraction concentrated in services and professional/business services during Q3 bears watching locally, since Muskegon's smaller services base could see proportionally larger swings if the state pattern extends into the metro's Q4 data.
Potential inflection point: National wage-vs-CPI divergence, with median earnings up 1.5% against 3.5% inflation, raises the question of whether Muskegon's moderate local wage gains in nursing and manufacturing are sufficient to preserve household purchasing power heading into the holiday retail season.
Sources
- Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget — Muskegon-Norton Shores unemployment at 4.6% in September, down 0.7 pts YoY
- Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget — Muskegon MSA labor force declined 8.2% YoY through July 2026
- Upjohn Institute Michigan Layoff Tracker — Pace Industries closed two Muskegon facilities, affecting 145 jobs
- Upjohn Institute Michigan Layoff Tracker — Michigan Spring & Stamping LLC laid off 116 workers
- Michigan Center for Data & Analytics — Michigan labor force participation rate fell to 58.5%
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Median weekly earnings rose 1.5% vs 3.5% CPI gain, Q3 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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