Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Sheboygan, WI MSA — September 2026
Sheboygan labor market grows while Wisconsin's shrinks.
Sheboygan's workforce expanded by 100 workers year-over-year and its $1,394 average weekly wage led small Wisconsin counties, even as the state lost 8,100 jobs statewide since late 2024.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 2.9% — August 2026, up 0.1pt year-over-year
- Metro workforce growth: +100 workers — Both MoM and YoY, August 2026
- Metro avg weekly wage: $1,394 — Highest among small WI counties, Q1 2026
- Wisconsin statewide job change: -8,100 jobs — Since Nov 2024 peak, through July 2026
Key takeaways
Sheboygan's labor market is growing while Wisconsin's is shrinking.
The metro added 100 workers to its labor force year-over-year even as the state lost 8,100 jobs since its November 2024 peak. That divergence suggests local economic momentum is outpacing the statewide trend, a distinction worth noting in any regional competitiveness conversation.
Manufacturing wage data tells a steadier story here than nationally.
Manufacturing production worker pay in the metro sits essentially flat at $39,973, in line with the $39,520 national figure, while Wisconsin's manufacturing employment statewide is declining 0.2%. Local manufacturing appears to be holding ground on both jobs and pay even as the sector contracts elsewhere in the state.
Wage-vs-inflation gap looks less severe locally than the state headline suggests.
Sheboygan's $1,394 average weekly wage led all small Wisconsin counties in Q1 2026, a stronger position than the statewide narrative of inflation eroding wage gains. Local purchasing power may be holding up better than the Wisconsin-wide 3.9% core inflation figure implies, though hourly wages here ($30.79) still trail the national average of $33.54.
A single large WARN filing does not signal metro-wide distress.
Lakeshore Community Health Care's 178-worker notice in April, spread across three counties including Sheboygan, coincided with an orderly transition to Noble Clinics rather than a net loss of local health care capacity. Isolated WARN activity warrants monitoring but should not be read as a broader destabilization signal given the metro's otherwise flat unemployment trend.
Median advertised pay by role — Sheboygan, WI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $24,960 | $29,407 | $31,200 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $24,019 | $27,040 | $29,120 | Moderate increase | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $32,811 | $41,808 | $43,680 | Stable | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $58,802 | $80,000 | $87,047 | Stable | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,727 | $33,240 | $37,440 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $32,578 | $44,720 | $44,720 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $60,595 | $71,760 | $86,000 | Moderate decline | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $34,558 | $39,973 | $42,120 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $35,071 | $37,594 | $41,600 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $29,994 | $33,280 | $33,280 | Significant decline | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $42,640 | $48,880 | $54,080 | Stable | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $32,615 | $40,201 | $45,760 | Stable | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician * | $61,048 | $69,462 | $76,040 | Moderate increase | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $92,300 | $104,000 | $112,822 | Stable | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $100,116 | $112,250 | $138,152 | Moderate increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $89,725 | $127,700 | $141,561 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $54,461 | $65,622 | $72,776 | Significant increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $66,735 | $76,514 | $91,691 | Significant decline | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $58,887 | $77,500 | $77,500 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $48,256 | $57,160 | $65,632 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $70,157 | $82,250 | $88,005 | Moderate increase | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $31,505 | $35,360 | $45,574 | Stable | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $54,452 | $68,165 | $87,224 | Moderate increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $41,352 | $75,110 | $84,529 | Moderate increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $76,780 | $90,000 | $101,587 | Moderate decline | $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 | $72,800 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $72,315 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $40,456 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $55,000 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $65,333 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $53,040 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $52,000 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $51,079 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $32,240 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Government | $67,872 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Sheboygan MSA unemployment held at 2.9% in August, with the workforce expanding by 100 workers both month-over-month and year-over-year — a sign of gradual labor supply growth even as Wisconsin statewide payrolls have contracted since late 2024. Manufacturing remains the metro's backbone at nearly 22,000 jobs, anchored by Kohler, Sargento, and Acuity Insurance, while the county's $1,394 average weekly wage — highest among small Wisconsin counties — signals the local economy is outperforming state peers even as statewide wage momentum cools against 3.9% core inflation.
What it means
Steady workforce growth alongside flat unemployment suggests Sheboygan's labor supply is expanding roughly in step with demand, a healthier balance than the statewide pattern of net job losses since January 2025. That relative stability, paired with the metro's wage leadership among small Wisconsin counties, points to a business climate still capable of absorbing expansion even as surrounding regions consolidate. Current conditions suggest commerce leaders evaluating local investment or expansion timing treat Sheboygan's labor market resilience as a genuine differentiator worth highlighting to prospective employers and investors considering the broader Wisconsin footprint.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Sheboygan unemployment ticked up one-tenth year-over-year to 2.9% despite workforce growth — watch whether this reflects new entrants still job-searching or early softening in local hiring pace over the next two reporting cycles.
Potential inflection point: Wisconsin's statewide wage growth is forecast to slow to 3.7% in 2026 from 4.2% in 2025 against 3.9% core inflation. Whether Sheboygan's historically wage-leading position among small counties holds through Q3 and Q4 data will indicate whether local purchasing power is diverging favorably from the state pattern.
Early indicator: National WARN activity has drawn in large employers like Amazon, Meta, and Tyson Foods, while Wisconsin's own WARN filings are down 7% year-over-year. Track whether any multi-state manufacturing or health care filings extend into Sheboygan County, given the metro's exposure to both sectors.
Expected: Labor force participation nationally remains flat at 61.8% and Wisconsin's has slipped to 64.5% from 65.4% a year ago. A continued decline in statewide participation could eventually pressure Sheboygan's labor supply even if local figures currently buck the trend.
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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