News for Immediate Release

August 16, 2012

Pennsylvania's Employment Situation for July 2012

Harrisburg - Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in July, up three-tenths of a percentage point from the revised June rate of 7.6 percent. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 8.3 percent, and has been below the U.S. rate for 51 consecutive months, and at or below the U.S. rate for 69 consecutive months.
 
The state unemployment rate was down 0.2 percentage points from July 2011.
 
Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was up 10,000 in July to 6,478,000. Resident employment was down 10,000 to 5,969,000, and the number of unemployed residents was up 21,000 to 509,000. Pennsylvania's labor force was 110,000 above its July 2011 level.
 
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were down 3,100 in July to 5,709,200. Following a downward revision to the June jobs count, this was the fourth consecutive monthly decline. Since March, jobs were down 19,100, but this followed a two-month increase of 27,400 in February and March. Both goods producers and service providers declined from June. The largest drops were in education & health services and leisure & hospitality, which were each down 3,900 jobs. Mining & logging and professional & business services reached record high levels in July.
 
Pennsylvania's job count was up 20,000 (0.4 percent) over the year while the national total nonfarm jobs were up 1,838,000 (1.4 percent) over the past 12 months.
 
 
Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted (in thousands)

July
2012

June
2012

July
2011

Change from
June 2012

Change from
July 2011

volume

percent

volume

percent

PA

Civilian Labor Force

6,478

6,468

6,368

10

0.2%

110

1.7%

Employment

5,969

5,979

5,853

-10

-0.2%

116

2.0%

Unemployment

509

488

515

21

4.3%

-6

-1.2%

Rate

7.9

7.6

8.1

0.3

---

-0.2

---

 

U.S.

Civilian Labor Force

155,013

155,163

153,358

-150

-0.1%

1,655

1.1%

Employment

142,220

142,415

139,450

-195

-0.1%

2,770

2.0%

Unemployment

12,794

12,749

13,908

45

0.4%

-1,114

-8.0%

Rate

8.3

8.2

9.1

0.1

---

-0.8

---

 
Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted (in thousands)

July
2012

June
2012

July
2011

Change from
June 2012

Change from
July 2011

volume

percent

volume

percent

             

Total Nonfarm Jobs

5,709.2

5,712.3

5,689.2

-3.1

-0.1%

20.0

0.4%

 

Goods Producing Industries

825.8

826.7

819.8

-0.9

-0.1%

6.0

0.7%

Mining & Logging

39.6

39.2

33.5

0.4

1.0%

6.1

18.2%

Construction

217.5

218.5

222.2

-1.0

-0.5%

-4.7

-2.1%

Manufacturing

568.7

569.0

564.1

-0.3

-0.1%

4.6

0.8%

 

Service Providing Industries

4,883.4

4,885.6

4,869.4

-2.2

0.0%

14.0

0.3%

Trade, Transportation & Utilities

1,103.6

1,099.9

1,092.2

3.7

0.3%

11.4

1.0%

Information

89.5

89.1

90.2

0.4

0.4%

-0.7

-0.8%

Financial Activities

312.5

313.2

309.5

-0.7

-0.2%

3.0

1.0%

Professional & Business Services

722.5

718.9

708.0

3.6

0.5%

14.5

2.0%

Education & Health Services

1,148.9

1,152.8

1,159.6

-3.9

-0.3%

-10.7

-0.9%

Leisure & Hospitality

522.0

525.9

508.7

-3.9

-0.7%

13.3

2.6%

Other Services

257.0

255.2

254.2

1.8

0.7%

2.8

1.1%

Government

727.4

730.6

747.0

-3.2

-0.4%

-19.6

-2.6%

               
For a more detailed breakdown of seasonally adjusted jobs data at the sector level, please contact the Center for Workforce Information & Analsys at 877-4WF-DATA, or visit www.paworkstats.state.pa.us
 
Note: August 2012 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released September 20, 2012.


Media Contact:
Christopher S. Manlove, 717-787-7530