PA Unemployment Rate at 5.1% for January
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for January 2015.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in January to 5.1 percent. Pennsylvania's rate was six-tenths of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.7 percent, which also rose a tenth of a point from December. The commonwealth's rate was down by 1.2 percentage points from January 2014 while the national rate declined by 0.9 points over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force increased by 13,000 in January to 6,365,000. Resident employment was up 10,000 while unemployment was up 3,000.
Total nonfarm jobs were down 3,500 in January to 5,822,000. The January decline followed six consecutive monthly gains. Within industries, the largest increase was in financial activities, up 2,500, while education & health services showed the biggest decline, down 7,300 from a record high level in December.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 62,400 (+1.1%). The growth was almost entirely within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, education & health services and professional & business services. Only two of the eleven supersectors declined from a year ago – information and government.
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.
Because the data included in each month's press release (primarily civilian labor force and nonfarm jobs data) are sample based, the data are subject to revisions. Once each year, estimates are adjusted to new levels based on additional or revised information collected after the initial release of the data (called a benchmark). Additionally, seasonal adjustment factors for historical labor force and nonfarm jobs data are updated each year. Revisions to the civilian labor force and nonfarm jobs series through 2014 have been completed and are reflected in this January news release.
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)
| January |
December |
January |
Change from |
Change from January 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2014 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,365 |
6,352 |
6,388 |
13 |
0.2% |
-23 |
-0.4% |
| Employment |
6,043 |
6,033 |
5,983 |
10 |
0.2% |
60 |
1.0% |
| Unemployment |
322 |
319 |
405 |
3 |
0.9% |
-83 |
20.5% |
| Rate |
5.1 |
5.0 |
6.3 |
0.1 |
---- |
-1.2 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
157,180 |
156,129 |
155,486 |
1,051 |
0.7% |
1,694 |
1.1% |
| Employment |
148,201 |
147,442 |
145,206 |
759 |
0.5% |
2,995 |
2.1% |
| Unemployment |
8,979 |
8,688 |
10,280 |
291 |
3.3% |
-1,301 |
-12.7% |
| Rate |
5.7 |
5.6 |
6.6 |
0.1 |
---- |
-0.9 |
---- |
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
| January |
December |
January |
Change from |
Change from |
|||
| December 2014 |
January 2014 |
||||||
| 2015 |
2014 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,822.0 |
5,825.5 |
5,759.6 |
-3.5 |
-0.1% |
62.4 |
1.1% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
843.1 |
840.7 |
830.1 |
2.4 |
0.3% |
13.0 |
1.6% |
| Mining & Logging |
38.5 |
37.8 |
36.4 |
0.7 |
1.9% |
2.1 |
5.8% |
| Construction |
233.2 |
232.1 |
227.5 |
1.1 |
0.5% |
5.7 |
2.5% |
| Manufacturing |
571.4 |
570.8 |
566.2 |
0.6 |
0.1% |
5.2 |
0.9% |
| Service Providing Industries |
4,978.9 |
4,984.8 |
4,929.5 |
-5.9 |
-0.1% |
49.4 |
1.0% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,119.9 |
1,123.0 |
1,101.4 |
-3.1 |
-0.3% |
18.5 |
1.7% |
| Information |
85.5 |
84.9 |
85.9 |
0.6 |
0.7% |
-0.4 |
-0.5% |
| Financial Activities |
316.2 |
313.7 |
314.8 |
2.5 |
0.8% |
1.4 |
0.4% |
| Professional & Business Services |
763.3 |
762.4 |
751.2 |
0.9 |
0.1% |
12.1 |
1.6% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,183.3 |
1,190.6 |
1,170.7 |
-7.3 |
-0.6% |
12.6 |
1.1% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
546.8 |
546.2 |
536.1 |
0.6 |
0.1% |
10.7 |
2.0% |
| Other Services |
255.3 |
255.6 |
252.9 |
-0.3 |
-0.1% |
2.4 |
0.9% |
| Government |
708.6 |
708.4 |
716.5 |
0.2 |
0.0% |
-7.9 |
-1.1% |
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: February 2015 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released March 20, 2015.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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