Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: May 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.4 percent in May, down from 7.5 percent in April.

May's rate was down 1.3 percentage points from May 2010.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was down 12,000 in May to 6,344,000. Resident employment fell by 6,000 to 5,873,000 while the number of unemployed residents fell 7,000 to 471,000, its lowest level since February 2009. Pennsylvania's labor force was 8,000 below its May 2010 level.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were down 14,200 in May to 5,678,700. Eight of the eleven supersectors experienced job losses in May. Professional & Business Services, Government, Construction and Education & Health Services all declined by 2,000 or more jobs. However, all Pennsylvania supersectors, except Government and Financial Activities, gained jobs from May 2010. Mining & Logging increased for the 24th consecutive month, up 100 in May to 31,300, the highest since 1990.

Pennsylvania's job count was up 44,300 (0.8 percent) from May 2010; nationally, nonfarm jobs were up 870,000 (0.7 percent) from last May.

Media contact: Christopher S. Manlove, 717-787-7530

Editor's Note: Visit the department online at www.dli.state.pa.us for a breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry