Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Springfield, IL MSA — October 2026
Springfield's jobless rate falls as its job count shrinks.
Sangamon County unemployment dropped to 3.8% from 4.8% a year ago even as Springfield MSA payrolls fell 1.6% (-1,800 jobs), while county wages rose 3.2% to $1,447 weekly in Q1 2026.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Sangamon County unemployment: 3.8% — Down from 4.8% in August 2025
- Springfield MSA payroll change: -1.6% — -1,800 jobs year-over-year through August 2026
- Sangamon County avg. weekly wage: $1,447 — Up 3.2% year-over-year, Q1 2026
- Illinois labor force change: -1.3% — Year-over-year statewide, per IDES
Key takeaways
Lower unemployment here reflects a shrinking labor pool.
Sangamon County's unemployment rate improved a full percentage point year-over-year even as Springfield MSA payrolls fell 1.6%, a pattern consistent with workers and job-seekers leaving the labor force while employer headcounts hold flat or shrink. Economic development officials should treat the headline unemployment improvement cautiously when pitching the metro's labor capacity to prospective employers.
Wage gains are outrunning job counts across the metro.
Average weekly wages in Sangamon County rose 3.2% in Q1 2026, ahead of the statewide 2.5% figure, even as nonfarm employment contracted — a sign that remaining positions, particularly in higher-skill categories, are commanding firmer pay. Financial Analyst (+significant), Account Manager (+significant) and Marketing Specialist (+significant) advertised pay locally outpacing national figures suggest wage pressure is concentrated in professional and managerial categories.
Manufacturing pay strength coexists with manufacturing job losses.
Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler advertised pay rose significantly in the metro even as statewide and metro manufacturing payrolls declined over the year, a combination consistent with employers competing harder for a narrower pool of production talent. This divergence is worth tracking as a leading indicator of whether local manufacturers are retooling or contracting.
Frontline and clerical wage signals diverge from Illinois's overall softness.
Customer Service Representative advertised pay fell moderately in the metro against a stable national trend, while Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk pay rose moderately locally — both set against a statewide picture of a labor force that shrank 1.3% year-over-year. Commerce leaders assessing retail and office-support capacity should note this uneven picture across entry-level roles.
Median advertised pay by role — Springfield, IL MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $29,827 | $33,280 | $35,100 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $29,088 | $32,240 | $33,280 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $33,750 | $38,057 | $40,446 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $59,566 | $81,400 | $91,286 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $31,118 | $40,560 | $43,680 | Stable | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $38,220 | $39,520 | $40,560 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $59,724 | $71,389 | $76,919 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $34,320 | $39,504 | $49,428 | Significant increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $25,624 | $35,016 | $37,946 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $28,637 | $33,278 | $33,280 | Stable | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $37,533 | $42,640 | $44,200 | Moderate decline | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $37,440 | $46,800 | $52,033 | Moderate increase | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $55,120 | $66,810 | $75,563 | Significant increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $87,500 | $107,119 | $115,168 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $134,833 | $166,794 | $179,841 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $107,405 | $143,129 | $161,934 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $58,329 | $69,869 | $78,013 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $83,329 | $103,250 | $120,166 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $64,380 | $88,000 | $90,517 | Significant increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $54,927 | $88,654 | $95,117 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $75,000 | $98,658 | $105,495 | Moderate increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $33,280 | $41,600 | $49,277 | Moderate increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $80,000 | $114,404 | $141,581 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $65,000 | $88,516 | $91,749 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $79,444 | $100,071 | $110,489 | 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 | $80,000 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $128,095 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $57,500 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $72,800 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Information | $146,882 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $91,324 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $101,210 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $78,750 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $34,320 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $65,344 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Sangamon County's unemployment rate fell to 3.8% in August 2026 from 4.8% a year earlier, even as the broader Springfield MSA shed jobs for the sixth straight month, down 1.6% (-1,800 positions) year-over-year, with losses concentrated in retail trade, leisure-hospitality, manufacturing, professional-business services, transportation and financial activities. Sangamon County average weekly wages rose 3.2% to $1,447 in Q1 2026, outpacing the statewide wage gain of 2.5% and suggesting a metro economy where a shrinking but more fully employed workforce is commanding firmer pay.
What it means
Falling unemployment alongside falling payrolls points to a tightening labor pool, a signal more consistent with population and participation constraints than with a business investment boom, which matters for how commerce leaders read any future hiring announcement. Local advertised pay data reinforce this bifurcation: Manufacturing Production Worker pay rose significantly even as metro nonfarm manufacturing jobs contracted, while Customer Service Representative pay moved down against a stable national figure, consistent with softer demand in that segment. Current conditions suggest commerce leaders and economic development officials should weigh labor availability alongside unemployment optics when evaluating the metro's readiness to support new investment or expansion announcements.
Looking ahead
Potential inflection point: Springfield MSA job counts have declined for roughly six consecutive months through August 2026; watch whether the September-October state release (due mid-to-late November) shows stabilization or a deepening trend, particularly in professional-business services and transportation.
Worth watching: Illinois's labor force contracted 1.3% year-over-year statewide even as unemployment improved; if Sangamon County mirrors that pattern in upcoming IDES releases, it would reinforce a participation-driven read on local unemployment gains over a demand-driven one.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide WARN filings are up 24% in affected workers year-over-year, concentrated in manufacturing, retail and healthcare; no major Springfield-area filings have surfaced in the pre-researched record this month, but commerce leaders should monitor IDES WARN postings given the metro's manufacturing exposure.
Early indicator: National healthcare hiring demand remains the strongest sector signal, and Springfield's Registered Nurse advertised pay ($107,119 median) sits above the national figure; continued strength here would support the case for Springfield's public-sector and institutional healthcare base as a stabilizing force against private-sector softness.
Sources
- Illinois Department of Employment Security — Sangamon County unemployment fell to 3.8% in August 2026 from 4.8% a year prior
- Illinois Department of Employment Security / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Springfield MSA nonfarm employment down 1.6% (-1,800 jobs) year-over-year through August 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Sangamon County average weekly wages rose 3.2% to $1,447 in Q1 2026
- Illinois Department of Employment Security — Illinois labor force shrank 1.3% year-over-year statewide
- layoffdata.com — Illinois WARN-affected workers up 24% year-over-year in 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Healthcare leads national private-sector hiring demand 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.
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