Pennsylvania's Employment Situation for October 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in October, down from 8.3 percent in September. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 9.0 percent, and has been below the U.S. rate for 42 consecutive months, and at or below the U.S. rate for 60 consecutive months.

The state's unemployment rate was down 0.4 percentage points from October 2010.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was up 18,000 in October to 6,354,000. Resident employment rose by 30,000 to 5,842,000 while the number of unemployed residents fell by 11,000 to 513,000. Pennsylvania's labor force was 31,000 above its October 2010 level.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 13,800 in October to 5,690,900. Goods-producing and service-providing industries added jobs due to increases in eight of the eleven supersectors. Three supersectors reached record highs this month (data back to 1990): Mining & Logging, Education & Health Services, and Leisure & Hospitality. The largest increase was in Leisure & Hospitality, up 4,000 to 513,100. Manufacturing, up 1,000 from September, has added jobs eight times in 2011. Only Construction (down 100) and Professional & Business Services (down 600) declined in October.

Pennsylvania's job count was up 54,500 (1.0 percent) from October 2010; nationally, nonfarm jobs were up 1.5 million (1.2 percent) from last October.

Media contact: Sean Yeakle, 717-787-7530

Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics is available on the Department of Labor & Industry's website at www.dli.state.pa.us.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

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