Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Napa, CA MSA — September 2026
Napa's labor force shrinks even as job growth holds steady.
Napa County unemployment ticked up to 4.3% in August as the labor force fell by 600 workers, even as the metro kept its spot as California's third-lowest unemployment county and added jobs at 75/month in 2026 versus 50/month in 2025.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Napa County unemployment: 4.3% — Up from 4.2% in July; 3rd-lowest in CA
- Napa labor force change: -600 — Month-over-month, August 2026
- Napa average monthly job growth: 75 jobs/mo — 2026 pace vs 50/mo in 2025
- California unemployment rate: 5.1% — Highest of any U.S. state in August
Key takeaways
A falling labor force, not falling demand, explains Napa's uptick.
August's rise to 4.3% unemployment coincided with 600 fewer people in the labor force and 700 fewer employed residents — a shrinking workforce, not a surge in job losses. That distinction matters for any read on local business climate: fewer available workers alongside modest job growth signals tightness, not weakness.
Napa's job mix is tilting toward hands-on, consumer-facing work.
Manufacturing, health services, and leisure and hospitality each added 300 jobs over the year while professional and business services shed 300 — a local echo of the national split between blue-collar resilience and white-collar contraction. Commerce leaders weighing new investment should note which sectors are actually absorbing workers locally.
Public payrolls remain a quiet stabilizer for the county.
Government employment grew by 200 jobs locally even as California's financial activities and information sectors contracted, reinforcing the public sector's role as a steadying force in an otherwise uneven employment picture. That stability is relevant to any assessment of Napa's resistance to broader state and national softening.
Wage-vs-inflation gap deserves local attention despite thin direct data.
National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, and California's wage gains have cooled to 3.1% — both suggest softening real purchasing power that would weigh on Napa's consumer and hospitality-dependent economy even without county-specific wage figures yet available.
Median advertised pay by role — Napa, CA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $35,152 | $39,208 | $43,680 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $34,318 | $38,335 | $39,884 | Stable | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $38,841 | $44,720 | $46,800 | Stable | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $65,392 | $85,250 | $97,230 | Significant increase | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $37,374 | $41,600 | $52,520 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $40,425 | $41,600 | $48,736 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $76,444 | $90,929 | $109,200 | Significant increase | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler * | $37,241 | $43,680 | $47,549 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $46,739 | $62,500 | $62,500 | Significant increase | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker * | $35,425 | $43,298 | $48,256 | Stable | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $47,163 | $57,200 | $60,237 | Stable | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $34,045 | $46,384 | $53,993 | Stable | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician * | $62,929 | $75,735 | $82,160 | Moderate increase | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $101,820 | $129,112 | $141,277 | Stable | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $186,900 | $186,900 | $186,900 | Significant increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer | $123,186 | $138,021 | $139,075 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $61,403 | $77,958 | $95,000 | Significant decline | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $76,726 | $90,985 | $93,562 | Significant decline | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $72,217 | $89,700 | $89,700 | Moderate increase | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $49,779 | $69,611 | $79,474 | Moderate increase | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $80,000 | $106,039 | $130,500 | Stable | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $68,716 | $98,490 | $98,491 | Stable | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $54,080 | $80,800 | $92,711 | Stable | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $60,100 | $89,500 | $100,625 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $84,564 | $101,345 | $114,767 | 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 | $81,510 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $54,321 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $48,792 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $52,520 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Information | $57,255 | Significant decline | Moderate decline |
| Financial Activities | $56,160 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $75,920 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $101,161 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $44,816 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $78,007 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Napa County's unemployment rate edged up to 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July as both the labor force and the number of employed residents contracted, even as the rate remained the third-lowest of California's 58 counties and well below the state's 5.4% unadjusted figure. Job growth stayed modest but positive — the metro has averaged 75 new jobs monthly in 2026, concentrated in manufacturing, private education and health services, and leisure and hospitality, while professional and business services and construction lost ground, a pattern consistent with the state's broader split between consumer-facing resilience and white-collar softness.
What it means
Napa's labor force contraction alongside a still-low unemployment rate points to a tightening pool of available workers rather than weakening demand, which has different implications for commerce leaders than a typical slowdown — expansion plans may face longer fill times even as overall conditions stay favorable. Public-sector stability (government added 200 jobs locally and local government education drove hiring statewide) offers a steadier revenue and spending anchor than professional services, where local losses mirror the statewide pullback in finance and administrative work. Current conditions suggest commerce and economic development leaders track labor force participation alongside the unemployment rate, since a shrinking workforce can mask underlying tightness that a falling headline rate would normally signal as slack.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Napa's labor force rebounds or keeps contracting in the September EDD release (due mid-October) — a continued decline would suggest demographic or participation pressures rather than a one-month anomaly.
Worth watching: National WARN filings remain near 2025 levels with no major Napa-specific notices reported this month; any shift in nearby Bay Area tech or finance layoffs bears watching given commuting ties into Napa County.
Potential inflection point: California's minimum wage rises to $17.40 on January 1, 2027 — commerce leaders in retail and hospitality-heavy Napa should factor this into budget and pricing conversations well ahead of the effective date.
Expected: September national and state jobs data (due mid-October) will clarify whether the September national slowdown to 29,000 payroll additions is a one-month dip or a deeper trend that could reach Napa's tourism and service economy.
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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