PA Unemployment Rate remains at 5.3% in April
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for April 2015.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was unchanged from March at 5.3 percent. Pennsylvania's rate was one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.4 percent, which was down one-tenth of a percentage point in April. The commonwealth's rate was down by 0.7 percentage points from April 2014 while the national rate declined by 0.8 points over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force increased by 19,000 to 6,393,000 in April. Resident employment was up 14,000 while unemployment was up 4,000.
Total nonfarm jobs were up 27,000 in April to a record high of 5,845,800. Both the private and public sectors added jobs. Nine of the eleven supersectors were up from March, with the largest increase in construction, up 10,000.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 64,400 (+1.1%). The growth was concentrated within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, leisure & hospitality, and construction. 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) |
|||||||
| April |
March |
April |
Change from volume percent |
Change from volume percent |
|||
| PA |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
6,393 |
6,374 |
6,379 |
19 |
0.3% |
14 |
0.2% |
| Employment |
6,053 |
6,039 |
5,995 |
14 |
0.2% |
58 |
1.0% |
| Unemployment |
340 |
336 |
384 |
4 |
1.2% |
-44 |
-11.5% |
| Rate |
5.3 |
5.3 |
6.0 |
0.0 |
---- |
-0.7 |
---- |
| U.S. |
|||||||
| Civilian Labor Force |
157,072 |
156,906 |
155,420 |
166 |
0.1% |
1,652 |
1.1% |
| Employment |
148,523 |
148,331 |
145,724 |
192 |
0.1% |
2,799 |
1.9% |
| Unemployment |
8,549 |
8,575 |
9,696 |
-26 |
-0.3% |
-1,147 |
-11.8% |
| Rate |
5.4 |
5.5 |
6.2 |
-0.1 |
---- |
-0.8 |
---- |
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment |
|||||||
| Seasonally Adjusted |
|||||||
| (in thousands) |
|||||||
| April |
March |
April |
Change from volume percent |
Change from volume percent |
|||
| Total Nonfarm Jobs |
5,845.8 |
5,818.8 |
5,781.4 |
27.0 |
0.5% |
64.4 |
1.1% |
| Goods Producing Industries |
851.7 |
840.3 |
834.0 |
11.4 |
1.4% |
17.7 |
2.1% |
| Mining & Logging |
37.4 |
37.8 |
37.1 |
-0.4 |
-1.1% |
0.3 |
0.8% |
| Construction |
243.2 |
233.2 |
230.2 |
10.0 |
4.3% |
13.0 |
5.6% |
| Manufacturing |
571.1 |
569.3 |
566.7 |
1.8 |
0.3% |
4.4 |
0.8% |
| Service Providing Industries |
4,994.1 |
4,978.5 |
4,947.4 |
15.6 |
0.3% |
46.7 |
0.9% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
1,127.8 |
1,123.7 |
1,106.5 |
4.1 |
0.4% |
21.3 |
1.9% |
| Information |
84.0 |
85.0 |
86.5 |
-1.0 |
-1.2% |
-2.5 |
-2.9% |
| Financial Activities |
315.8 |
315.4 |
315.1 |
0.4 |
0.1% |
0.7 |
0.2% |
| Professional & Business Services |
763.9 |
761.0 |
757.6 |
2.9 |
0.4% |
6.3 |
0.8% |
| Education & Health Services |
1,189.2 |
1,184.4 |
1,178.5 |
4.8 |
0.4% |
10.7 |
0.9% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
550.5 |
549.4 |
536.8 |
1.1 |
0.2% |
13.7 |
2.6% |
| Other Services |
257.9 |
255.3 |
253.8 |
2.6 |
1.0% |
4.1 |
1.6% |
| Government |
705.0 |
704.3 |
712.6 |
0.7 |
0.1% |
-7.6 |
-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: May 2015 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released June 19, 2015.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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