PA Unemployment Rate at 5.2% in February
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for February 2015.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in February to 5.2 percent. Pennsylvania's rate was three-tenths of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.5 percent, which was down two-tenths from January. The commonwealth's rate was down by 1.0 percentage points from February 2014 while the national rate declined by 1.2 points over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force increased by 7,000 in February to 6,365,000. Residential employment was up 2,000 while unemployment was up 6,000.
Total nonfarm jobs were up 13,300 in February to a record high of 5,829,200. The gain was concentrated in the private sector, which added 15,700 jobs while government declined by 2,400. The largest increase was in education & health services, up 6,000, while construction showed the biggest decline, down 2,500.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 73,100 (+1.3%). 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.
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 |
Change from |
||||||
| February |
January |
February |
January 2015 |
February 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,372 |
6,365 |
6,385 |
7 |
0.1% |
-13 |
-0.2% |
| Employment |
6,044 |
6,042 |
5,988 |
2 |
0.0% |
56 |
0.9% |
| Unemployment |
329 |
323 |
398 |
6 |
1.9% |
-69 |
-17.3% |
| Rate |
5.2 |
5.1 |
6.2 |
0.1 |
---- |
-1.0 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
157,002 |
157,180 |
155,688 |
-178 |
-0.1% |
1,314 |
0.8% |
| Employment |
148,297 |
148,201 |
145,301 |
96 |
0.1% |
2,996 |
2.1% |
| Unemployment |
8,705 |
8,979 |
10,387 |
-274 |
-3.1% |
-1,682 |
-16.2% |
| Rate |
5.5 |
5.7 |
6.7 |
-0.2 |
---- |
-1.2 |
---- |
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment |
|||||||
| Seasonally Adjusted |
|||||||
| (in thousands) |
|||||||
| Change from |
Change from |
||||||
| February |
January |
February |
January 2015 |
February 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,829.2 |
5,815.9 |
5,756.1 |
13.3 |
0.2% |
73.1 |
1.3% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
838.8 |
841.7 |
828.4 |
-2.9 |
-0.3% |
10.4 |
1.3% |
| Mining & Logging |
38.2 |
38.6 |
36.4 |
-0.4 |
-1.0% |
1.8 |
4.9% |
| Construction |
231.2 |
233.7 |
225.4 |
-2.5 |
-1.1% |
5.8 |
2.6% |
| Manufacturing |
569.4 |
569.4 |
566.6 |
0.0 |
0.0% |
2.8 |
0.5% |
| Service Providing Industries |
4,990.4 |
4,974.2 |
4,927.7 |
16.2 |
0.3% |
62.7 |
1.3% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,121.5 |
1,118.5 |
1,100.1 |
3.0 |
0.3% |
21.4 |
1.9% |
| Information |
84.2 |
83.9 |
85.9 |
0.3 |
0.4% |
-1.7 |
-2.0% |
| Financial Activities |
316.0 |
316.2 |
315.2 |
-0.2 |
-0.1% |
0.8 |
0.3% |
| Professional & Business Services |
766.6 |
763.3 |
752.7 |
3.3 |
0.4% |
13.9 |
1.8% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,189.7 |
1,183.7 |
1,170.9 |
6.0 |
0.5% |
18.8 |
1.6% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
549.4 |
545.9 |
536.1 |
3.5 |
0.6% |
13.3 |
2.5% |
| Other Services |
258.5 |
255.8 |
252.9 |
2.7 |
1.1% |
5.6 |
2.2% |
| Government |
704.5 |
706.9 |
713.9 |
-2.4 |
-0.3% |
-9.4 |
-1.3% |
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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