PA Unemployment Rate at 5.3% in March
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for March 2015.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in March to 5.3 percent. Pennsylvania's rate was two-tenths of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.5 percent, which was unchanged from February. The commonwealth's rate was down by 0.8 percentage points from March 2014 while the national rate declined by 1.1 points over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force increased by 2,000 to 6,375,000 in March. Resident employment was down 5,000 while unemployment was up 7,000.
Total nonfarm jobs declined by 12,700 in March to 5,819,300. The private and public sectors both declined from February, down 11,900 and 800, respectively. The largest decrease was in education & health services, which fell 6,300 below February, while construction showed the biggest gain, up 2,700.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 54,700 (+0.9%). The growth was concentrated within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, leisure & hospitality, and education & health 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 |
||||||
| March |
February |
March |
February 2015 |
March 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,375 |
6,373 |
6,383 |
2 |
0.0% |
-8 |
-0.1% |
| Employment |
6,039 |
6,044 |
5,992 |
-5 |
-0.1% |
47 |
0.8% |
| Unemployment |
336 |
329 |
391 |
7 |
2.1% |
-55 |
-14.1% |
| Rate |
5.3 |
5.2 |
6.1 |
0.1 |
---- |
-0.8 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
156,906 |
157,002 |
156,180 |
-96 |
-0.1% |
726 |
0.5% |
| Employment |
148,331 |
148,297 |
145,796 |
34 |
0.0% |
2,535 |
1.7% |
| Unemployment |
8,575 |
8,705 |
10,384 |
-130 |
-1.5% |
-1,809 |
-17.4% |
| Rate |
5.5 |
5.5 |
6.6 |
0.0 |
---- |
-1.1 |
---- |
|
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment |
||||||||
| Seasonally Adjusted |
||||||||
| (in thousands) |
||||||||
| Change from |
Change from |
|||||||
| March |
February |
March |
February 2015 |
March 2014 |
||||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
||
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,819.3 |
5,832.0 |
5,764.6 |
-12.7 |
-0.2% |
54.7 |
0.9% |
|
| Goods Producing Industries |
840.0 |
838.9 |
829.4 |
1.1 |
0.1% |
10.6 |
1.3% |
|
| Mining & Logging |
37.8 |
38.1 |
36.7 |
-0.3 |
-0.8% |
1.1 |
3.0% |
|
| Construction |
233.7 |
231.0 |
225.6 |
2.7 |
1.2% |
8.1 |
3.6% |
|
| Manufacturing |
568.5 |
569.8 |
567.1 |
-1.3 |
-0.2% |
1.4 |
0.2% |
|
| Service Providing Industries |
4,979.3 |
4,993.1 |
4,935.2 |
-13.8 |
-0.3% |
44.1 |
0.9% |
|
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,123.3 |
1,122.8 |
1,104.1 |
0.5 |
0.0% |
19.2 |
1.7% |
|
| Information |
85.1 |
84.2 |
85.6 |
0.9 |
1.1% |
-0.5 |
-0.6% |
|
| Financial Activities |
315.0 |
315.9 |
315.0 |
-0.9 |
-0.3% |
0.0 |
0.0% |
|
| Professional & Business Services |
761.4 |
765.4 |
753.5 |
-4.0 |
-0.5% |
7.9 |
1.0% |
|
| Education & Health Services |
1,184.5 |
1,190.8 |
1,174.7 |
-6.3 |
-0.5% |
9.8 |
0.8% |
|
| Leisure & Hospitality |
549.2 |
548.9 |
536.6 |
0.3 |
0.1% |
12.6 |
2.3% |
|
| Other Services |
255.0 |
258.5 |
253.8 |
-3.5 |
-1.4% |
1.2 |
0.5% |
|
| Government |
705.8 |
706.6 |
711.9 |
-0.8 |
-0.1% |
-6.1 |
-0.9% |
|
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 2015 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released May 22, 2015.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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