PA Unemployment Rate 4.9% in March
Labor Force Reaches Record High
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for March 2016.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point from February to 4.9 percent. Pennsylvania's rate remained below that of the United States, which was up one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.0 percent. The commonwealth's rate was down four-tenths of a percentage point since March 2015 while the national rate declined by five-tenths of a percentage point over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force was up 30,000 in March to 6,501,000, a record high. Resident employment rose by 14,000 while the unemployment count increased by 17,000.
Total nonfarm jobs increased 15,300 to a record high of 5,891,700 in March. Seven of the eleven supersectors added jobs, with four up by at least 3,000 from February. The largest gain was in construction (+6,000), while the largest drop was in manufacturing (-800).
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 81,000 (+1.4%). All eight service-providing supersectors added jobs from March 2015, while two of the three goods-producing supersectors declined. The largest increase from last year was in education & health services (+24,600), while the largest decline was in mining & logging (-8,900).
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Goulet, 717-787-7530
Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.
Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
| Change from February 2016 |
Change from March 2015 |
||||||
| March |
February |
March |
|||||
| 2016 |
2016 |
2015 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,501 |
6,471 |
6,418 |
30 |
0.5% |
83 |
1.3% |
| Employment |
6,185 |
6,171 |
6,078 |
14 |
0.2% |
107 |
1.8% |
| Unemployment |
317 |
300 |
340 |
17 |
5.7% |
-23 |
-6.8% |
| Rate |
4.9 |
4.6 |
5.3 |
0.3 |
---- |
-0.4 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
159,286 |
158,890 |
156,890 |
396 |
0.2% |
2,396 |
1.5% |
| Employment |
151,320 |
151,074 |
148,333 |
246 |
0.2% |
2,987 |
2.0% |
| Unemployment |
7,966 |
7,815 |
8,557 |
151 |
1.9% |
-591 |
-6.9% |
| Rate |
5.0 |
4.9 |
5.5 |
0.1 |
---- |
-0.5 |
---- |
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
| Change from February 2016 |
Change from March 2015 |
||||||
| March |
February |
March |
|||||
| 2016 |
2016 |
2015 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,891.7 |
5,876.4 |
5,810.7 |
15.3 |
0.3% |
81.0 |
1.4% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
827.0 |
822.4 |
834.6 |
4.6 |
0.6% |
-7.6 |
-0.9% |
| Mining & Logging |
27.8 |
28.4 |
36.7 |
-0.6 |
-2.1% |
-8.9 |
-24.3% |
| Construction |
234.3 |
228.3 |
228.3 |
6.0 |
2.6% |
6.0 |
2.6% |
| Manufacturing |
564.9 |
565.7 |
569.6 |
-0.8 |
-0.1% |
-4.7 |
-0.8% |
| Service Providing Industries |
5,064.7 |
5,054.0 |
4,976.1 |
10.7 |
0.2% |
88.6 |
1.8% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,136.2 |
1,132.4 |
1,117.9 |
3.8 |
0.3% |
18.3 |
1.6% |
| Information |
85.6 |
85.8 |
85.0 |
-0.2 |
-0.2% |
0.6 |
0.7% |
| Financial Activities |
320.1 |
319.9 |
315.6 |
0.2 |
0.1% |
4.5 |
1.4% |
| Professional & Business Services |
784.5 |
784.9 |
772.1 |
-0.4 |
-0.1% |
12.4 |
1.6% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,210.2 |
1,206.8 |
1,185.6 |
3.4 |
0.3% |
24.6 |
2.1% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
562.2 |
559.2 |
540.5 |
3.0 |
0.5% |
21.7 |
4.0% |
| Other Services |
260.5 |
260.0 |
255.0 |
0.5 |
0.2% |
5.5 |
2.2% |
| Government |
705.4 |
705.0 |
704.4 |
0.4 |
0.1% |
1.0 |
0.1% |
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.pa.gov
Note: April 2016 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released May 20, 2016.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article