PA Unemployment Rate in June Unchanged at 5.6%

Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Published July 19, 2014 4:20 am
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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its employment situation report for June 2014.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained at 5.6 percent, the lowest rate since September 2008. The commonwealth’s rate was five-tenths of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 6.1 percent, which was down two-tenths of a point from May. The state rate was down 1.9 percentage points from its June 2013 rate of 7.5 percent.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was down 28,000 in June to 6,403,000 due to declines in both employment and unemployment. Resident employment, down 22,000, was down for the second month in a row following eight consecutive gains while unemployment (-6,000) declined for the 11th straight month.

Total nonfarm jobs increased by 1,800 in June to 5,789,700, the highest level since September 2008. The majority of the gain was within the private sector, which added 5,600 jobs to a record high of 5,079,400. Public sector jobs declined by 3,800. The largest gain in June was in trade, transportation & utilities (+5,300), with about half of that gain due to retail trade.

Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 56,700 (+1.0%). The growth was almost entirely within private industries, with the largest gains in education & health services and construction.

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

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.

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