Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Rome, GA MSA — October 2026
Rome's labor force grows faster than its job count
Rome's unemployment rate edged up to 3.4% as the labor force expanded by 1,089 over the year while total jobs stayed flat at 47,000, even as a 792-worker WARN filing at International Paper underscores manufacturing-sector risk.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Rome unemployment rate: 3.4% — Up from 3.3% prior month; still below 4.1% national
- Rome labor force growth: +1,089 YoY — Reached 49,265; outpaced flat job count
- Rome nonfarm employment: 47,000 — Unchanged year-over-year despite labor force growth
- Manufacturing WARN exposure: 792 workers — International Paper filing, Sept. 2026, Georgia
Key takeaways
Labor force growth is outrunning job creation.
Rome's labor force grew by 1,089 over the year while total nonfarm jobs stayed essentially flat, a combination that nudged the unemployment rate up to 3.4% even as more residents entered the workforce. That dynamic reads as healthy labor supply meeting soft demand growth, a distinction that matters for how the uptick gets characterized publicly.
Manufacturing carries the metro's layoff risk this year.
International Paper's 792-worker WARN filing and Hillshire Brands' 168-worker filing earlier in 2026 make manufacturing the clear source of displacement risk in an otherwise low-unemployment metro. Watching whether these filings represent isolated facility actions or a sector trend will matter for workforce planning conversations with the state labor department.
Healthcare wage strength outpaces the metro's broader wage story.
Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide advertised pay climbed to a metro median of $51,898, a significant increase that sits well above the comparable national figure of $41,600. That divergence is consistent with healthcare's described role as the hub of Rome's job market and suggests continued local demand concentration in care-related work.
Rome still outperforms the state and national unemployment benchmarks.
A 3.4% local rate remains below Georgia's 3.3% statewide figure's near-term trend and well under the 4.1% national rate, keeping Rome among the stronger-performing Georgia metros even as its own momentum cools. Commerce leaders can frame this as resilience when discussing the local investment climate, distinct from acceleration.
Median advertised pay by role — Rome, GA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $21,966 | $26,259 | $30,160 | Moderate decline | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $21,840 | $25,201 | $26,754 | Moderate decline | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $32,150 | $34,759 | $35,817 | Moderate increase | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $56,268 | $75,400 | $83,200 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $26,530 | $30,656 | $32,524 | Stable | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $37,423 | $37,440 | $37,440 | Moderate decline | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $57,724 | $62,209 | $67,491 | Significant decline | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,336 | $34,578 | $39,233 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $26,144 | $35,360 | $40,110 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $24,227 | $26,694 | $27,772 | Stable | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $32,579 | $51,898 | $54,080 | Significant increase | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $30,907 | $37,358 | $38,942 | Stable | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician * | $57,200 | $67,711 | $73,840 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $83,963 | $98,082 | $99,320 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $95,150 | $120,219 | $144,600 | Significant decline | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,106 | $134,539 | $151,343 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $53,036 | $59,643 | $70,302 | Moderate increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $88,090 | $106,860 | $106,860 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $56,266 | $63,496 | $79,700 | Significant decline | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,966 | $58,500 | $70,334 | Stable | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $67,500 | $84,405 | $92,220 | Significant increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $37,829 | $56,671 | $60,152 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $50,269 | $65,000 | $79,232 | Significant decline | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $57,500 | $82,500 | $95,500 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $80,000 | $96,515 | $107,358 | 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 | $50,732 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $56,784 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $33,770 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $54,238 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $51,256 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $50,328 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $66,560 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $63,073 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $28,422 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Government | $66,659 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Rome's unemployment rate ticked up to 3.4% in September from 3.3% the prior month, even as the labor force expanded by 767 workers over-the-month and 1,089 over the year to 49,265, a sign that more residents are entering the job search. Total nonfarm employment reached 47,000, up 200 month-over-month but flat year-over-year, while a September WARN filing from International Paper affecting 792 Georgia workers and an earlier Hillshire Brands filing for 168 Rome-area workers point to manufacturing as the metro's clearest source of labor market friction.
What it means
Flat year-over-year employment alongside a growing labor force suggests Rome's economy is absorbing new workers without yet generating net new positions, a pattern commerce leaders should read as moderating momentum. Manufacturing's twin WARN filings this year, set against healthcare's sustained demand as the metro's dominant employment driver, point to a local economy rebalancing around services even as its traditional industrial base faces pressure; local officials and chamber leaders may want to track whether displaced manufacturing workers move into healthcare and logistics roles or exit the labor force. Current conditions suggest economic development groups consider monitoring International Paper's and Hillshire's local footprint for further filings as an early signal of broader manufacturing-sector softening.
Looking ahead
Emerging pressure point: International Paper's 792-worker WARN filing warrants tracking for whether additional notices follow at the same or nearby facilities; manufacturing already accounts for the largest share of Georgia's WARN activity statewide (50 notices over 24 months).
Early indicator: Watch whether Rome's labor force continues expanding faster than job counts over the next two reporting cycles — a persistent gap would mark a shift from a tight labor market to a loosening one, relevant for both policy economists and commerce investment decisions.
Worth watching: Healthcare's continued dominance of job postings, a signal of hiring demand (postings often cover multiple openings and do not equal hires or openings), may indicate the sector is absorbing workers displaced from manufacturing; local workforce boards may see early signs of this transition in placement data.
Potential inflection point: Georgia's statewide 50-year low in initial jobless claims (15,874) contrasts with Rome's modest uptick in local unemployment; divergence between state and metro trends over the next reporting period will clarify whether Rome's softening is metro-specific or a leading signal for the state.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Labor — Rome unemployment rate rose to 3.4% in September, labor force grew to 49,265
- Georgia Department of Labor — Rome ended September with 47,000 jobs, up 200 month-over-month, flat year-over-year
- WARN Act Filings — International Paper filed WARN notice affecting 792 workers in Georgia
- Layoff Lookout — Hillshire Brands in Rome filed WARN notice for 168 workers
- Georgia Department of Labor — Georgia statewide initial jobless claims hit 50-year low of 15,874
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — National unemployment rate stable at 4.1% in October 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.
Free to read and cite with attribution to WageScape. Terms of use.