Pennsylvania's Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.6 percent in April

News provided by

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

May 17, 2013, 10:40 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The state's unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.6 percent in April according to employment statistics released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

Unemployment decreased 17,000 to 496,000. This was the third largest decrease on record, behind only March 2013 and July 1983.

Employment was up 13,000 to 6,008,000. This increase tied September 2012 for the second largest employment increase in the past twelve months.

Private sector jobs were up 8,300 to the highest level since September 2008. The largest gains were in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality and educational and health services, which all reached record-high job levels in April.

"April was a tremendous month for job growth and the state's employment situation," said Julia Hearthway, Secretary of the Department of Labor & Industry. "Pennsylvania has added 125,700 private sector jobs to the economy since Governor Corbett took office."

Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.

Editor's note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.

Media contact:    Sara Goulet, 717-787-7530

Current Labor Force Statistics

Seasonally Adjusted

(in thousands)




Change from

Change from

April

March

April

March 2013

April 2012

2013 (p)

2013

2012

volume

percent

volume

percent

PA







Civilian Labor Force

6,505

6,508

6,473

-3

0.0%

32

0.5%

Employment

6,008

5,995

5,969

13

0.2%

39

0.7%

Unemployment

496

513

504

-17

-3.3%

-8

-1.6%

Rate

7.6

7.9

7.8

-0.3

----

-0.2

----









U.S.







Civilian Labor Force

155,238

155,028

154,451

210

0.1%

787

0.5%

Employment

143,579

143,286

141,934

293

0.2%

1,645

1.2%

Unemployment

11,659

11,742

12,518

-83

-0.7%

-859

-6.9%

Rate

7.5

7.6

8.1

-0.1

----

-0.6

----

 

Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment

Seasonally Adjusted

(in thousands)




Change from

Change from

April

March

April

March 2013

April 2012

2013 (p)

2013

2012

volume

percent

volume

percent

 

Total Nonfarm Jobs

5,753.0

5,746.3

5,731.2

6.7

0.1%

21.8

0.4%









Goods Producing Industries

829.6

834.6

832.8

-5.0

-0.6%

-3.2

-0.4%

  Mining & Logging

36.4

37.2

37.8

-0.8

-2.2%

-1.4

-3.7%

  Construction

225.0

228.2

226.2

-3.2

-1.4%

-1.2

-0.5%

  Manufacturing

568.2

569.2

568.8

-1.0

-0.2%

-0.6

-0.1%









Service Providing Industries

4,923.4

4,911.7

4,898.4

11.7

0.2%

25.0

0.5%

  Trade, Transportation & Utilities

1,101.4

1,100.3

1,102.5

1.1

0.1%

-1.1

-0.1%

  Information

90.2

90.1

90.2

0.1

0.1%

0.0

0.0%

  Financial Activities

309.7

309.5

309.0

0.2

0.1%

0.7

0.2%

  Professional & Business Services

741.7

735.5

730.4

6.2

0.8%

11.3

1.5%

  Education & Health Services

1,177.8

1,176.5

1,165.3

1.3

0.1%

12.5

1.1%

  Leisure & Hospitality

527.6

524.4

521.9

3.2

0.6%

5.7

1.1%

  Other Services

259.4

258.2

255.1

1.2

0.5%

4.3

1.7%

  Government

715.6

717.2

724.0

-1.6

-0.2%

-8.4

-1.2%








(p) – preliminary data






 

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 2013 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released June 21, 2013.
























SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

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