Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Springfield, OH MSA — September 2026
Springfield absorbs Ohio's largest manufacturing layoff in five years.
Roshel's acquisition of International Motors' Springfield plant will end roughly 1,341 jobs by October 2, compounding a metro employment decline of 0.4% in June — the steepest in Ohio.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Roshel/International Motors layoff: 1,341 jobs — Effective Oct 2, 2026 — largest Ohio layoff in 5 years
- Springfield metro employment change: -0.4% — June 2026, largest decline of any Ohio metro
- Clark County unemployment rate: 3.8% — Aug 2026, vs 4.1% U.S., 3.3% Ohio
- Manufacturing employment, metro: -3.1% YoY — Through mid-2026, vs steadier state manufacturing gains
Key takeaways
One transaction is now Springfield's defining economic story.
The Roshel-International Motors deal eliminates roughly 1,341 jobs by October 2, with no guaranteed worker transfer, making it the largest single labor market event in the metro this year. The region's overall employment trend will likely be read through this one transaction for several months.
Clark County's unemployment rate understates underlying weakness.
The 3.8% August reading looks favorable against the national 4.1% rate, but it predates the full effect of the October layoff and sits against a backdrop of metro employment already declining 0.4% in June, the worst in Ohio. Expect the headline rate to lag the real story by several months.
Manufacturing-linked pay is softening across the board locally.
Manufacturing production worker pay is down significantly year-over-year in the metro, and HVAC and electrician advertised pay have also declined even as national figures for those trades rise. This divergence suggests local employer demand for trade and production labor is weakening faster than national peers, a signal worth tracking for broader construction and industrial investment appetite.
Healthcare and professional pay gains offer a partial counterweight.
Registered nurse pay is up significantly locally, roughly in line with national gains, and several office/professional roles show upward movement even as blue-collar categories soften. Commerce leaders should note the local economy is bifurcating by sector rather than contracting uniformly.
Median advertised pay by role — Springfield, OH MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $25,484 | $31,351 | $36,837 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $24,960 | $26,122 | $29,120 | Moderate decline | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $33,042 | $40,560 | $42,640 | Stable | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $61,192 | $80,000 | $90,000 | Moderate decline | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,653 | $33,205 | $40,051 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $34,687 | $38,480 | $39,520 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $47,500 | $60,237 | $67,600 | Moderate decline | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,441 | $35,360 | $37,319 | Significant decline | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $29,511 | $36,246 | $38,192 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $28,143 | $29,188 | $34,112 | Significant decline | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $31,200 | $35,325 | $37,440 | Moderate decline | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $36,371 | $39,718 | $43,160 | Moderate increase | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician | $61,904 | $68,939 | $71,799 | Significant decline | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $78,909 | $92,800 | $104,056 | Significant increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $126,726 | $162,481 | $166,638 | Significant increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $98,957 | $133,120 | $150,800 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $56,859 | $67,600 | $72,500 | Significant increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $69,596 | $81,500 | $87,754 | Significant increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $67,504 | $83,747 | $83,747 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $46,857 | $59,248 | $69,842 | Moderate increase | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $70,929 | $82,546 | $92,484 | Stable | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $30,165 | $43,311 | $45,789 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $83,287 | $133,282 | $147,544 | Significant increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $52,327 | $67,000 | $67,500 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $79,340 | $96,332 | $107,719 | Moderate increase | $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 | $68,081 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $60,538 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $37,644 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $72,671 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $148,559 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $65,782 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $61,746 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $61,977 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $30,132 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Government | $66,973 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Springfield's labor market is absorbing the fallout from International Motors' sale of its Springfield Assembly Plant and Truck Specialty Center to Roshel, a transaction that triggers roughly 1,341 job terminations by October 2, 2026 and ranks among Ohio's largest layoffs in five years. That shock lands on top of an already softening metro economy, where employment fell 0.4% in June — the steepest decline of any Ohio metro — with manufacturing down 3.1% year-over-year and transportation/warehousing and professional services both contracting 3.2%.
What it means
Concentrated manufacturing exposure means Springfield's near-term economic trajectory hinges heavily on whether Roshel re-establishes meaningful operations at the former International sites and on what timeline, since existing workers do not automatically transfer. For commerce leaders and economic development officials, this is a moment to assess supply-chain and vendor dependencies tied to the plant rather than treat the layoff as an isolated event, and government economists should watch whether displaced manufacturing workers reappear in unemployment claims or exit the labor force entirely, echoing the statewide participation decline already underway. Consider monitoring Clark County's unemployment and labor force figures monthly through year-end to distinguish a temporary transition shock from a structural contraction.
Looking ahead
Expected: The October 2 effective date for the International Motors/Roshel transition will formally separate roughly 1,341 workers; watch whether Roshel announces a hiring timeline or scale for the Springfield Assembly Plant and Truck Specialty Center in the following 30 days.
Early indicator: Clark County and Springfield MSA unemployment and initial claims data for September and October will be the first hard evidence of how much of the Roshel transition translates into measured unemployment versus labor force exit.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide, manufacturing carries the heaviest WARN notice volume (23 notices, 3,134 workers affected in 90 days). Watch whether Springfield's layoff draws displaced workers into competing roles elsewhere in Ohio manufacturing or whether they leave the labor force, consistent with the state's broader 95,000-person annual labor force decline.
Potential inflection point: National hiring has slowed sharply (29,000 jobs added in September, wage growth at 3.0% against 3.4% inflation). A national pullback combined with a concentrated local shock leaves Springfield with less cushion than in prior downturns, a dynamic worth flagging for any regional investment or incentive planning.
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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