PA Unemployment Rate at 5.4% in May
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for May 2015.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point from April to 5.4 percent. Pennsylvania's rate was one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.5 percent, which also increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in May. The commonwealth's rate was down 0.5 percentage points from May 2014 while the national rate declined by 0.8 points over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force rose 25,000 from April to 6,417,000. Both resident employment and unemployment increased, up 18,000 and 8,000, respectively.
Total nonfarm jobs were up 18,200 in May to a record high of 5,856,900. Both the private and public sectors added jobs in May. Education & health services had the largest gain of any supersector, up 8,900 to a record high of 1,197,400.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 66,800 (+1.2%). The growth was concentrated within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, education & health services, and construction.
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.
A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.
Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
| Change from |
Change from |
||||||
| May |
April |
May |
April 2015 |
May 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,417 |
6,392 |
6,374 |
25 |
0.4% |
43 |
0.7% |
| Employment |
6,070 |
6,052 |
5,999 |
18 |
0.3% |
71 |
1.2% |
| Unemployment |
348 |
340 |
374 |
8 |
2.4% |
-26 |
-7.0% |
| Rate |
5.4 |
5.3 |
5.9 |
0.1 |
---- |
-0.5 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
157,469 |
157,072 |
155,629 |
397 |
0.3% |
1,840 |
1.2% |
| Employment |
148,795 |
148,523 |
145,868 |
272 |
0.2% |
2,927 |
2.0% |
| Unemployment |
8,674 |
8,549 |
9,761 |
125 |
1.5% |
-1,087 |
-11.1% |
| Rate |
5.5 |
5.4 |
6.3 |
0.1 |
---- |
-0.8 |
---- |
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
| Change from |
Change from |
||||||
| May |
April |
May |
April 2015 |
May 2014 |
|||
| 2015 |
2015 |
2014 |
volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
|
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,856.9 |
5,838.7 |
5,790.1 |
18.2 |
0.3% |
66.8 |
1.2% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
852.7 |
850.9 |
835.3 |
1.8 |
0.2% |
17.4 |
2.1% |
| Mining & Logging |
36.5 |
37.5 |
37.2 |
-1.0 |
-2.7% |
-0.7 |
-1.9% |
| Construction |
245.3 |
242.2 |
231.4 |
3.1 |
1.3% |
13.9 |
6.0% |
| Manufacturing |
570.9 |
571.2 |
566.7 |
-0.3 |
-0.1% |
4.2 |
0.7% |
| Service Providing Industries |
5,004.2 |
4,987.8 |
4,954.8 |
16.4 |
0.3% |
49.4 |
1.0% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,126.3 |
1,125.2 |
1,108.2 |
1.1 |
0.1% |
18.1 |
1.6% |
| Information |
85.7 |
83.7 |
85.3 |
2.0 |
2.4% |
0.4 |
0.5% |
| Financial Activities |
317.0 |
315.1 |
315.9 |
1.9 |
0.6% |
1.1 |
0.3% |
| Professional & Business Services |
763.1 |
763.1 |
760.1 |
0.0 |
0.0% |
3.0 |
0.4% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,197.4 |
1,188.5 |
1,180.3 |
8.9 |
0.7% |
17.1 |
1.4% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
550.7 |
549.4 |
538.1 |
1.3 |
0.2% |
12.6 |
2.3% |
| Other Services |
257.6 |
257.7 |
254.2 |
-0.1 |
0.0% |
3.4 |
1.3% |
| Government |
706.4 |
705.1 |
712.7 |
1.3 |
0.2% |
-6.3 |
-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: June 2015 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released July 17, 2015.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Goulet, 717-787-7530
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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