PA Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.0% in February
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for February 2017.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from January to 5.0 percent. The commonwealth's rate remained above that of the United States, which decreased one-tenth of a percentage point in February to 4.7 percent. Over the year, the Pennsylvania unemployment rate declined by four-tenths of a percentage point.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force was down 6,000 over the month to 6,434,000. Resident employment increased by 7,000 while the unemployment count declined by 12,000. February was the sixth consecutive month that posted both an increase in employment and a decrease in unemployment.
Pennsylvania's nonfarm jobs count rose 12,500 to a record high of 5,941,600 in February. Seven of the eleven supersectors added jobs from January, led by education & health services (+9,600). The largest drop was in professional & business services (-6,100), which fell from a record high in January.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 1.3 percent (+74,000) while nationally jobs were up 1.7 percent. Seven supersectors added jobs from last February. The largest increase over the past 12 months was in education & health services (+41,500), while the largest decline was in manufacturing (-4,500).
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.
MEDIA CONTACT: Theresa Elliot, 717-787-7530
Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.
| Current Labor Force Statistics
|
|||||||
| February 2017 |
January 2017 |
February 2016 |
Change from January 2017 |
Change from February 2016 |
|||
| volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
||||
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,434 |
6,440 |
6,438 |
-6 |
-0.1% |
-4 |
-0.1% |
| Employment |
6,114 |
6,107 |
6,092 |
7 |
0.1% |
22 |
0.4% |
| Unemployment |
321 |
333 |
346 |
-12 |
-3.6% |
-25 |
-7.2% |
| Rate |
5.0 |
5.2 |
5.4 |
-0.2 |
---- |
-0.4 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
160,056 |
159,716 |
158,888 |
340 |
0.2% |
1,168 |
0.7% |
| Employment |
152,528 |
152,081 |
151,043 |
447 |
0.3% |
1,485 |
1.0% |
| Unemployment |
7,528 |
7,635 |
7,845 |
-107 |
-1.4% |
-317 |
-4.0% |
| Rate |
4.7 |
4.8 |
4.9 |
-0.1 |
---- |
-0.2 |
---- |
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
|
|||||||
| February 2017 |
January 2017 |
February 2016 |
Change from January 2017 |
Change from February 2016 |
|||
| volume |
percent |
volume |
percent |
||||
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,941.6 |
5,929.1 |
5,867.6 |
12.5 |
0.2% |
74.0 |
1.3% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
829.2 |
824.9 |
827.5 |
4.3 |
0.5% |
1.7 |
0.2% |
| Mining & Logging |
23.5 |
23.2 |
26.6 |
0.3 |
1.3% |
-3.1 |
-11.7% |
| Construction |
248.6 |
247.1 |
239.3 |
1.5 |
0.6% |
9.3 |
3.9% |
| Manufacturing |
557.1 |
554.6 |
561.6 |
2.5 |
0.5% |
-4.5 |
-0.8% |
| Service Providing Industries |
5,112.4 |
5,104.2 |
5,040.1 |
8.2 |
0.2% |
72.3 |
1.4% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,133.9 |
1,132.2 |
1,126.8 |
1.7 |
0.2% |
7.1 |
0.6% |
| Information |
83.6 |
84.0 |
84.7 |
-0.4 |
-0.5% |
-1.1 |
-1.3% |
| Financial Activities |
317.6 |
317.5 |
316.6 |
0.1 |
0.0% |
1.0 |
0.3% |
| Professional & Business Services |
797.1 |
803.2 |
789.6 |
-6.1 |
-0.8% |
7.5 |
0.9% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,249.5 |
1,239.9 |
1,208.0 |
9.6 |
0.8% |
41.5 |
3.4% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
571.1 |
565.7 |
555.8 |
5.4 |
1.0% |
15.3 |
2.8% |
| Other Services |
260.8 |
261.3 |
256.5 |
-0.5 |
-0.2% |
4.3 |
1.7% |
| Government |
698.8 |
700.4 |
702.1 |
-1.6 |
-0.2% |
-3.3 |
-0.5% |
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.workstats.dli.pa.gov
Note: March 2017 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released April 21, 2017.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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