Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: July

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.3 percent in July, up one-tenth of a percentage point from June.  

Pennsylvania's rate remained below the national rate of 9.5 percent, and has been at or below the national rate for 88 of the past 91 months. The state rate was up one percentage point from July 2009, while the U.S. rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point from a year earlier.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – fell by 43,000 residents to 6,395,000 in July. Resident employment fell 45,000, while the unemployment count increased by 1,000 residents.  Pennsylvania's labor force was 5,000 below its July 2009 level.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs count was down 7,000 in July mainly as a result of a 10,400 decrease in the government supersector as cuts to temporary Census jobs continued. Among supersectors, leisure & hospitality showed the biggest increase, adding 3,400 jobs in July as Pennsylvania casinos ramped up employment to staff table games.

The United States' job count also fell for the second consecutive month – due primarily to Census layoffs, down 131,000 from June to 130,242,000.  

Pennsylvania jobs were up 18,600 from July 2009. Nationally, total nonfarm jobs were down 52,000 over the same period.

Media contact: Troy Thompson, 717-787-7530

Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.

For a more detailed breakdown of seasonally adjusted jobs data at the sector level, please contact the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis at 1-877-4WF-DATA, or visit www.paworkstats.state.pa.us.

Note: August 2010 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released Sept. 16, 2010.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry