Labor Market Pulse · Human Resources · October 2026
Human Resources Labor Market Report: Springfield, OH MSA — October 2026
Springfield sheds jobs fastest in Ohio — but talent still scarce.
Springfield metro employment fell 2.2% over the past year, the steepest drop among Ohio's 11 metros, even as Clark County unemployment held at 3.8% and over 1,300 truck workers entered the market in October.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Springfield metro job loss: -2.2% — Largest decline among Ohio's 11 metro areas
- Clark County unemployment: 3.8% — Down from 3.9% in July, below Ohio's 3.4%
- International Motors layoff: 1,300+ workers — Plant sale to Roshel, effective Oct. 2
- Local avg. hourly wage: $25.16 — vs. $31.48 national average (May 2023 data)
Key takeaways
Job losses and labor scarcity are happening simultaneously.
Springfield shed jobs faster than any Ohio metro this year, yet unemployment stayed near 3.8% because workers are leaving the labor force as well as losing jobs. Hiring plans built on an assumption of loosening competition for talent may be miscalibrated.
The International Motors layoff is a test of local reabsorption capacity.
Over 1,300 truck manufacturing workers hit the market in early October against a regional manufacturing base of roughly 5,800 workers — a disruption large enough to reshape local wage benchmarks for production and logistics roles over the next two quarters.
HR Business Partner pay is moving against the metro's broader wage story.
Advertised pay for HR Business Partner roles rose significantly to a $82,500 metro median, outpacing even the national figure — a signal that employers are paying up for workforce planning expertise precisely when local conditions are hardest to read.
TPS uncertainty is a central workforce planning variable.
Haitian workers have been a meaningful source of labor force growth in Springfield; continued federal uncertainty over Temporary Protected Status introduces a supply risk that compensation strategy alone cannot offset.
Median advertised pay by role — Springfield, OH MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation Analyst * | $66,763 | $92,620 | $103,316 | Moderate decline | $100,798 |
| HR Business Partner | $55,007 | $82,500 | $83,747 | Significant increase | $83,900 |
| Benefits Manager * | $88,474 | $112,622 | $118,031 | Stable | $118,618 |
| HRIS Analyst * | $74,542 | $85,739 | $101,627 | Stable | $95,000 |
| HR Coordinator * | $37,648 | $46,258 | $52,000 | Stable | $50,460 |
| Recruiter | $50,602 | $60,000 | $66,546 | Stable | $67,234 |
| Payroll Specialist | $44,422 | $47,143 | $56,145 | Moderate decline | $61,103 |
* 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
Local market conditions
Springfield metro payrolls contracted 2.2% over the past year, the steepest decline among Ohio's 11 metro areas, concentrated in manufacturing and amplified by International Motors' plant sale to Roshel that displaced over 1,300 truck workers in early October. Clark County unemployment held at 3.8% in August even as the labor force shrank, a pattern consistent with workers exiting the market instead of finding new jobs, with TPS uncertainty for Haitian workers compounding labor supply pressure in a metro that has leaned on immigrant labor force growth.
What it means
Falling payrolls alongside stable unemployment signals a shrinking labor pool, meaning Springfield employers competing for manufacturing, logistics, and production talent face continued scarcity despite headline job losses. Compensation teams should treat the metro's below-national wage baseline ($25.16/hour average vs. $31.48 nationally) as a retention liability now that displaced International Motors workers are re-entering a thinner local candidate pool with transferable skills. Consider reviewing pay positioning for production and logistics roles against the risk that departing manufacturing talent leaves the metro entirely instead of recirculating locally.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether displaced International Motors workers show up in Clark County unemployment claims data through November or migrate out of the metro — the destination of that talent will shape production and logistics wage competition into 2027.
Potential inflection point: Ohio's statewide labor force participation decline (61.2% vs. 61.8% national) is more acute in Springfield; a continued drop would tighten competition for frontline talent even as headline job counts fall.
Policy risk: Federal action on Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants could materially affect labor supply in a metro already losing jobs faster than any other in Ohio — workforce planning should model a downside labor availability scenario.
Worth watching: Manufacturing WARN activity statewide is down 47% year over year, but Springfield's concentration of production employment means a single large filing, as seen in October, can outweigh the statewide trend for local benchmarking purposes.
Sources
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services / BLS — Springfield metro employment fell 2.2%, largest decline among Ohio metros
- Eastern Herald — International Motors layoff of 1,300+ workers tied to Roshel plant sale
- Ohio LMI Labor Force Estimates — Clark County unemployment at 3.8% in August 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Springfield average hourly wage of $25.16 vs. $31.48 national
- Springfield News-Sun — TPS uncertainty for Haitian immigrants affecting Springfield labor supply
- layoffdata.com — Ohio manufacturing WARN notices down 47% year over year statewide
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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