Pittsburgh Unemployment Rate Rises in June. How That Can Be A Positive!

HARRISBURG (AUGUST 2)

Number of jobs offered during June enjoyed a healthy increase (8,800) which enticed more people to enter the job market.  This was the cause of the unemployment rate going up.  There were more jobseekers entering the job market than the number of jobs added.
– In June, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.3%.
The local rate was below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.6%) and the United States’ rate (9.2%). The Pittsburgh’s MSA unemployment rate was down six-tenths of a percentage point from June 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down 1.1 percentage points and the national rate was down three-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the sixth lowest unemployment rate in June. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.9%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.0%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.7 percent in Centre County to 11.2 percent in Cameron County.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 8,800 in June to 1,140,600. This month’s increase followed a May decline of 7,900. Statewide jobs were down 2,600 in June to 5,676,900. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 14,100 (1.3%) from June 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 46,400 (0.8%) from the previous year’s level.

June Industry Detail (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose by 4,600 in June to 153,200For the fourth consecutive month, all three goods-producing supersectors showed over-the-month increases. Construction continued to show seasonal growth, up 3,200, while manufacturing added 1,200 jobs and mining & logging was up 200. Over the year, goods producers have added 5,800 jobs, with manufacturing (+2,700), construction (+1,700), and mining & logging (+1,400) all showing increases beyond previous year’s levels

Service-providing jobs rose 10,900 in June, pushing the job level past one million for the first time ever. Leisure & hospitality continued to see seasonal growth (up 3,500), carried by gains in accommodations & food services. Professional & business services showed the second largest supersector growth, up 1,700 over the month. Within education & health services, a large gain in health care & social assistance was countered by a seasonal decline in educational services. Over the year, trade, transportation, & utilities, education & health services, and professional & business services have shown the largest increases. Supersectors showing over-the-year declines were government, other services, and information.