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Monday, December 5, 2011

PITTSBURGH MSA UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO 7.0%

HARRISBURG (DECEMBER 1) In October, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell four-tenths of a percentage point to 7.0 percent, the second consecutive decline of four-tenths of a percentage point.

The local rate remained below Pennsylvania’s rate (8.1%) which fell two-tenths of a percentage point and the United States’ rate (9.0%) which was down one-tenth of a percentage point. Over the year, the Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was down nine-tenths of a percentage point, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down four-tenths of a percentage point, and the national rate fell seven-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA was ranked as the 5th lowest unemployment rate in October. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.4%) had the lowest rate while Fayette County (8.7%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.3 percent in Centre County to 11.2 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 8,400 in October to 1,149,600. October tied for the third largest employment increase on record. Statewide jobs also showed growth, up 13,800 to 5,690,900. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 21,600 (1.9%) from October 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 54,500 (1.0%) from last year’s level.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Pittsburgh Region's Unemployment Rate Declines

Unemployment in the Pittsburgh region fell in September, a sign the economy is improving as employers add more jobs, experts said.

The jobless rate in the seven-county region declined to 7.4 percent, down 0.4 of a percentage point from 7.8 percent in August, the first decline after four months of rate increases, the state said today.

"This is a good report. The economy is going upstream. We're still not at 2007 and 2008 (pre-recession) levels, but we're not that far from there," said Frank Gamrat, an economist and senior research associate for the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a Castle Shannon think tank.

The jobless rate fell mainly because schools reopened and rehired staff, adding 7,200 jobs, state and area economists said. Another big jump came in the transportation and warehousing sector, which added 3,400. On the negative side, wholesale and retail trades lost 3,400.

The region -- Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties -- continued a trend of year-over-year job increases. There were almost 13,000 more jobs in September than a year ago, increasing the total to 1.147 million, the state Center for Workforce Information and Analysis said in its report.

In September, Pennsylvania's jobless rate was 8.3 percent and the national rate was 9.1 percent.

Not all the region's economic news was good.

While the region's jobs picture is better off than a year ago, Harold Miller, president of Future Strategies LLC, a Downtown consulting firm, said the rate of regional growth slowed a bit from August to September, compared to pre-recession levels of September 2008.
Local schools experienced the job increases from August to September, but there were 2,700 fewer total local education jobs than a year ago, which is likely the results of cutbacks caused by the reduction in state funding, Miller said.

"We are slowly creeping back up," Miller said. "It was pretty much a typical September. It was pretty weak on the government side."

The manufacturing sector, where the region had lost 12,000 jobs in the recession, has added 3,300 jobs since the recession ended in July 2009, bring its total to 89,600 jobs in September, Miller said.

"We're adding jobs, but the jobs are not coming back where we lost them," Miller said, about the shrinking number of manufacturing jobs.

Read more: Region's unemployment rate declines - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_764828.html

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Do Employers Screen Applicants Using Social Networks? You Bet!

A recent survey conducted by Reppler asked 300 employers questions about if and how they have used social networks to screen candidates.
Reppler is a social media monitoring service designed to help users manage their online image across different social networks. It does so by showing users how they are perceived across social networks, by telling users the makeup of their social network connections, and by identifying any potential issues and risks. Reppler is a free service and supports various social networking services, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Here are the results:
Click on the image to enlarge




For more information visit the Reppler Website by clicking here

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Pittsburgh MSA Unemployment Rate Ticks Up To 7.4% In July

HARRISBURG (AUGUST 30) In July, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4 percent. The local rate was below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.8%) and the United States’ rate (9.1%). The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was down five-tenths of a percentage point from July 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down eight-tenths of a percentage point and the national rate was down four-tenths over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the sixth lowest unemployment rate in July. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.9%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.4%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 6.1 percent in Centre County to 11.0 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 2,900 in July to 1,143,100. July marked the sixth monthly increase in seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the 2011 calendar year. Statewide jobs also trended positively, adding 8,700 in July to 5,693,200. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 14,600 (1.3%) from July 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 70,500 (1.3%) from the previous year’s level.

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA fell by 100 in July to 152,900. July’s goods-producing decline followed four consecutive months of increases of at least 3,000. Construction continued to show growth (+600), and has now shown positive movements for five consecutive months. Manufacturing accounted for the only goods-producing decline, ending a four-month positive trend. Over the year, goods producers have added 3,800 jobs, with manufacturing (+1,500), mining & logging (+1,200), and construction (+1,100) all showing increases beyond previous year’s levels. 

Service-providing jobs fell 10,900 in July, returning below the one million job mark. Government provided the steepest decline in July, carried by a seasonal job loss in public schools. The local government decline of 11,900 was slightly larger than the previous five-year average decline of 10,300. Trade, transportation, and utilities experienced the second largest over-the-month job decline, down 1,800. This decline was associated with school bus transportation, and was relatively minor compared to the previous five-year average decline. Professional & business services provided the largest July increase, adding 1,700 jobs and matching the supersector record level of 163,200 set in July of 2008. Leisure & hospitality added 600 jobs in July, establishing a new all-time high level of 116,200.

Over the year, five out of the eight service providing supersectors have shown growth. Trade, transportation, & utilities (+4,800), professional & business services (+3,300), and education & health services (+3,000) have provided the greatest over-the-year increases. Conversely, government (-2,700), information (-300), and other services (-100) have experienced declines from the previous year’s levels.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Comcast Cable Introduces Low Cost Internet Service Plan For Disadvantaged Families In Pittsburgh

As the nation’s largest Internet service provider, Comcast is spearheading an ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment called Internet Essentials.
The goal of Internet Essentials is to help close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all that the Internet as to offer. It is available to families with children who receive a free school lunch as part of their enrollment in the National School Lunch Program in more than 4,000 school districts in 39 states plus the District of Columbia.

While participating in Internet Essentials, participants receive:

• Low-cost Internet for $9.95 a month (plus applicable taxes);

• No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;

• A voucher redeemable to purchase a low-cost computer ($149.99 + tax) given at initial enrollment;

• Access to free digital literacy training in print, online or in-person.

Internet Essentials customers also receive Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security, at no additional charge.

Essentials will become available during the 2011-2012 “Back to School” season. A household is eligible to participate in Internet Essentials if it meets all of the following criteria:

• Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;

• Has at least one child who receives a free school lunch as part of his/her enrollment in the National School Lunch Program;

• Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;

• Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.

Comcast will accept new program participants through the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

For general information about Internet Essentials, visit: www.InternetEssentials.com (for English) and www.InternetBasico.com (for Spanish). For educators or community-based program leaders, visit: www.InternetEssentials.com/partner. For parents looking to enroll in the program, call 1-855-846-8376 or for Spanish call 1-855-765-6995.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Monster Employment Index For Pittsburgh Reaches Record High Level For July!

The Monster Employment Index, which measures the number of job postings across a broad spectrum of job boards and compares that number to a base year of 2003, reached a record level for Pittsburgh at 169 for July.

Some of the strongest Pittsburgh employment categories include “Business and Financial Operations”, “Community and Social Services”, “Healthcare Support”, “Food Preparation and Serving”, “Building, Grounds Cleaning, Maintenance” and “Transportation and Material Moving.

Nationwide the Labor Department reported that 117,000 jobs were created in July with the prior two months estimates increased by a combined 54,000 jobs.
For a complete breakdown of both the local and national employment  indexes please click here.

U.S. added 117,000 jobs in July. Not huge but FAR better than many feared! Previous 2 months revised higher as well!

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. added 117,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 9.1%, the government said Friday, in a better-than-expected report that appeared to temporarily calm jittery financial markets.


The report will reduce fears that the U.S. is heading toward recession,” said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
Yet while employers hired more workers than economists expected, the gain wasn’t big enough to put a dent in disappointing labor-market trends.

The jobless rate has stayed above 8% for 30 straight months, the longest stretch of high unemployment since the Great Depression in the 1930s. What’s more, the drop in the unemployment rate in July stemmed mainly from a decline in the labor force as discouraged job seekers stopped looking for work.

During times of rapid growth, the U.S. typically adds at least 200,000 jobs a month, but much larger increases would be required for months on end to yank the unemployment rate back down to pre-recession levels.

Read More Here

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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 153,200
For 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.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Pittsburgh's Largest Job Fair of the Summer Coming July 20th at Consol Energy Center!

The 10th annual Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Job Fair series will continue this year on July 20th at Consol Energy Center from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Back in March over 1,500 job seekers were in attendance to speak with 90 companies and schools that were on hand. 

Produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com and co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh in association with AARP Foundation WorkSearch and the Allegheny County Department of Veteran's Affairs, featuring career opportunities from Callos Companies, an outplacement and recruiting company, this event is open to the general public and free for all job seekers.

Positions being offered will be in healthcare, nursing, oil/gas, manufacturing, banking/finance, Insurance, sales, customer service, retail, military, hospitality, drivers, social services and much more.

Job seekers can pre-register by going here and following the promps.

Over 60 Employers and Schools will be hiring at the job fair including:

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.

Aramark CONSOL Energy Center

Arc Human Services

Army National Guard

Art Institute Of Pittsburgh

Avis Budget Group

First Student

Dish Network

Brayman Construction Corp.

Callos Companies

Community College of Allegheny County

Charter Foods/Taco Bell

Cintas

Citizens Bank

City of Pittsburgh

Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Community Options

CONSOL Energy Inc.

Cornell-Abraxas Youth & Family Services

Coventry Management Services, Inc.

Dollar Bank

Duquesne University

Education Management / EDMC

E Z Energy Convenience Stores

Eighty-Four Lumber

Energy Contractors/ Nabors Well Service

ePeople Healthcare

Erie Insurance

Everest Institute

Face 2 Face Sales Solutions

Farmers Insurance Group

Fedex Ground

Follow Your Customer

Gallagher Home Health Services

Geneva College

Glade Run Lutheran Services

Goodwill

Home Healthcare Staffing

Lifesteps, Inc.

Mainstay Life Services

Mass Mutual

HCR Manorcare

NCR Corporation

New York Life

Northwood Realty

OK Grocery Co

Oncology Nursing Society

PA Mentor

Pennsylvania State Police

Pittsburgh Job Corp Center

Pittsburgh Technical Institute-PTI

Prudential Financial

Prudential Preferred Realty

Renewal, Inc.

Shaft Drillers International

South Hills Movers

Southwestern Pa Commission CommuteInfo

Southwood Psychiatric Hospital

State Farm Insurance

StoneMor/Mt Royal Cemetery

T H Hill Associates

Transitional Service Inc

US Navy
And more!


Here is a short video from the March Employment Expo:





Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Manpower Survey: Positive Hiring Intentions Persist Among U.S. Employers for Third Quarter

Largest percentage of surveyed employers since Q4 2008 plan to add staff

MILWAUKEE (June 14, 2011) – Positive yet careful hiring intentions are expected to persist in the U.S. throughout the summer, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup. According to the seasonally adjusted survey results, the Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 3 2011 is +8%, up from +6% during the same period last year and consistent with the +8% Outlook during Quarter 2 2011. Although positive, the Outlook of +8% is softer than the mostly double-digit Outlooks reported during previous decades.

This quarter’s survey indicates the following trends:

· 2011 Gains Holding Steady: Since the first quarter of 2011, when the Net Employment Outlook jumped to +8% from +5% the previous quarter, hiring expectations have remained consistent.


· Positive Hiring Intentions Across U.S.: Employers in all 50 states report positive hiring intentions and 42 out of 50 states anticipate considerable increases in the typically strong third quarter. Of the 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas surveyed, 99 percent report positive employment Outlooks.

· Seven Straight Quarters of Employment Growth: Since Quarter 1 2010, employers have reported a positive overall hiring Outlook in each survey, according to seasonally adjusted data.
· Many Sectors Gaining Momentum: Employers in nine of 13 industries surveyed nationally report the strongest overall Outlook within their sectors since Quarter 1 2009.

“Although employers are not signaling dramatic upswings in hiring plans, there does seem to be hiring energy developing based on sustained year-over-year growth,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “This is also the eleventh consecutive quarter with a single-digit Net Employment Outlook, indicating a level of caution not seen among employers in the last 30 years of data. This fact, along with many clouds still on the economic horizon, may explain the tepid labor market growth we have seen so far.”

Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 20 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their Quarter 3 2011 hiring plans, while 8 percent expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of +12%. When seasonally adjusted, the Net Employment Outlook becomes +8%. Sixty-nine percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans. The final 3 percent of employers indicate they are undecided about their hiring intentions.

“Our data shows that one in five employers plan to add staff in the next three months, the highest ratio we’ve seen since the recovery started,” said Prising. “As more employers shift to hiring mode, we are starting to see talented job seekers receive multiple employment offers, and also negotiate for higher salaries. As hiring momentum slowly builds, the talent supply and demand challenges of the Human Age will impact hiring trends. Employers may want to hire, but they will struggle to find the right person, in the right place, which will bring a level of urgency to developing new recruiting and training strategies.”

Hiring Outlooks for Industry Sectors and Regions
Employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors surveyed have a positive Outlook for Quarter 3 2011:

Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), Mining (+25%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+20%), Professional & Business Services (+19%), Durable Goods Manufacturing (+17%), Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (+16%), Transportation & Utilities (+14%), Construction (+11%), Information (+11), Financial Activities (+11%) and Other Services (+7%).

Employers in two industry sectors have a slightly negative Outlook: Government (-1%) and Education & Health Services (-2%).

Employers in 10 industry sectors expect prospects to increase quarter-over-quarter, with employers in Wholesale & Retail Trade anticipating the largest increase quarter-over-quarter, with a gain of eight percentage points. Employers in the Other Services industry sector look to keep staff levels stable compared to three months ago at this time, while Government employers expect the hiring pace to slightly decrease and Educational Health Services employers anticipate a moderate decrease.

Employers in all four U.S. geographic regions surveyed anticipate a positive seasonally adjusted Outlook. The third quarter 2011 hiring Outlook is brightest in the Northeast, where a slight increase in hiring plans is expected compared to the second quarter of 2011 and to one year ago at this time. Compared to one year ago, a slight increase in employment prospects is also expected in the Midwest, South and West, although the three regions are all relatively stable quarter-over-quarter.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Pennsylvania’s jobless rate falls to 7.5 percent for April!

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent in April,as both employment among residents and the number of jobs added by employers increased, the state said today
The unemployment rate, adjusted for seasonal hiring factors, fell from 7.8 percent in March, and was 1.3 percent below the April 2010 jobless rate, the state said. It was the largest year-over-year decline since June 1987.

A separate survey of employers showed they added 23,700 more jobs, adjusted for seasonal factors, in April than in March, as the employer job count rose to 5.69 million. The number of jobs in the state was up 80,000 from a year ago

Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_737948.html

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Casting Call for "STILL I RISE", A Movie To Be Shot In Pittsburgh!

We received a request from the casting company for those interested in being an "extra":

Hi, Burghworks;

I'm currently working as an extras casting director on STILL I RISE, a major motion picture starring Maggie Gyllenhaal that will be shot in the Pittsburgh area from May 23rd to July. This movie centers on two mothers who join forces to reform a failing public school in their neighborhood.

This movie is set in Pittsburgh, and will include several scenes shot in schools. I'm currently hiring kids grades K-6 to appear as extras in these scenes, many of which will include the leads and offer great screen time.

In addition to the children's roles, we have a ton of short term opportunities available for adults. All of these positions are paid.

I've included a flyer with the basic information, and I'm hoping you can help us get the word out. We need to get the kids on board as soon as we can because the PA Dept of Labor & Industry requires work permits for them; they're simple to get but it's a several step process. We want to get as many kids ready to go before shooting begins on May 23rd as possible.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I'm happy to meet with groups of people for Q & A sessions, and answer e-mails 24 hours a day,
fourthrivercasting@yahoo.com.

Thanks so much, and glad to be able to keep the film industry in Pittsburgh thriving.
Click on the above image to expand and print


 

Friday, May 6, 2011

U.S. Economy Adds 244,000 Jobs in April!

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy gained 244,000 jobs in April, the biggest increase in almost a year, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.0%, according to government data.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a net gain of 175,000. Most had expected job gains to slow from March’s revised increase of 221,000 because of weaker growth in the first quarter and a slew of data that seemed to suggest a slowdown in hiring.
Payrolls for February and March were also revised up by a combined 46,000, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The payroll data are derived from a survey of about 400,000 business establishments.
“It’s a good report. The payroll numbers are solid,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities. “I think the economy is starting to gain traction.”

In recent trading, U.S. stocks soared. The Dow Jones industrial average (DOW:DJIA) jumped more than 130 points following Thursday’s selloff.

Private sector gains

Hiring in the private sector posted the largest increase in five years, with the biggest gain occurring in the retail sector. Retailers hired 57,000 workers last month.
Professional and business services created 51,000 jobs, the leisure and hospitality sector added 46,000 positions and health-care companies hired 37,000 employees. The surging manufacturing sector also increased employment by 29,000.

The biggest decline took place in government, continuing a recent trend, as public-sector jobs fell by 24,000.

Average hourly earnings, meanwhile rose a scant 0.1% to $22.95, while the average workweek was unchanged.

Meager increases in wages are a thorn in the side of the U.S. recovery, especially in light of soaring oil prices and higher food costs. Workers have to spend more on basic necessities, leaving less demand for other goods and services.

Growth in the U.S. economy is likely to be constrained unless wages rise or the price of fuel and food decline, economists say.

Read more here: http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/print?guid=4C0F5376-77D6-11E0-B3F3-00212804637C

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Pittsburgh Metro Unemployment Rate Drops to 6.8% in March

HARRISBURG (APRIL 26) In March, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.8 percent, the lowest unemployment rate since March 2009.
The local rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (7.8%) and the United States rate (8.8%). The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from March 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down one percentage point and the national rate fell by nine-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the 5th lowest unemployment rate. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.5%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (8.8%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 13.3 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA fell 300 in March to 1,133,900. March was the first month to show a decline since September 2010. Pennsylvania jobs were down 1,700 in March to 5,670,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 16,600 (1.5%) from March 2010, while Pennsylvania jobs rose 76,500 (1.4%) from the previous year’s level.



Wednesday, April 13, 2011

DEDICATION CEREMONY AND “OPEN HOUSE” SET FOR APRIL 20 AT GOODWILL’S NEW LAWRENCEVILLE FACILITY

PITTSBURGH, Pa., April 13, 2011 – Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania will dedicate its new Workforce Development Center (WDC) in Lawrenceville on Wednesday, April 20, during a community open house at the facility located at 118 52nd Street. The public is invited to tour the WDC between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and to attend the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m.

Goodwill moved virtually all of its employment, training, education, recycling, and social services programs to the new building in December. Over 200 people work at thetwo-floor WDC, including program managers, teachers, instructors and job coaches. They serve hundreds of Goodwill clients who visit the facility on weekdays to attend classes and participate in various training and employment programs.

“We invite our new Lawrenceville neighbors and everyone else to come and see why Goodwill is so much more than thrift stores,” said Michael J. Smith, Goodwill President/ CEO. “Goodwill staff will be on hand at nearly 20 stations throughout the building to explain our many services and programs, including employment training, job search assistance, adult education classes, computer recycling, our Good-to-Go Café, and many more.”

Goodwill officials and community representatives will participate in the dedication ceremony and officially name the WDC as the Robert S. Foltz Building in honor of the long-time President of Goodwill Pittsburgh who retired in 2002.  Goodwill’s former headquarters building on the South Side also was named for Mr. Foltz.

Participating in the ceremony will be James C. Roddey, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Goodwill Renews! Capital Campaign; State Senator Jim Ferlo; State Representative Adam Ravenstahl; Gary R. Claus, Immediate Past Chairman of the Goodwill Board of Directors; and Mr. Smith.

As part of the re-dedication ceremony, James D. Scalo, President of Burns & Scalo Real Estate Services, Inc., will award the Goodwill WDC as the first-ever Class-G®certified project. Burns & Scalo, which constructed the WDC, founded the Class-G® program and have since spun-off this certification program into a stand-alone organization (Class-G.org).  The WDC plaque presentation marks the official national launch of this new green building certification, which recognizes property owners and their occupants for their “green” and sustainable practices. 

Mr. Scalo said the Goodwill WDC earned the Class-G® designation because of its re-use and upgrading of an existing building, formerly a warehouse; its innovative water-use and lighting features; several ADA-compliant design features that exceed code requirements; and its contribution to revitalizing the historic Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Reservations are not required to attend the open house. The Goodwill WDC is located between Butler Street and the Allegheny River at 118 52nd Street.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Pittsburgh Area Unemployment Rate Dips To 7% In February

HARRISBURG (APRIL 5) – In February, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was down two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.0 percent.

This was the third consecutive monthly decline. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (8.0%) and the United States rate (8.9%). February marked the 37th straight month that the Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate has been below both the Pennsylvania and national rates. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from February 2010, while the Pennsylvania and national rates were both down 0.8 percentage points over the same period.

Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.6%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.3%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 12.9 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose for the fifth consecutive month, up 1,700 in February to 1,134,000. Pennsylvania jobs were up 23,700 in February to 5,674,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 23,300 (2.1%) from February 2010, and Pennsylvania jobs were up 106,800 (1.9%) from February 2010.

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were down 2,500 to 136,100 in February. Declines were split between construction (-1,100) and manufacturing (-1,400), while mining and logging remained unchanged. Pittsburgh MSA goods-producing jobs were up 4,200 over the year, with all three goods-producing supersectors showing increases of at least 900 jobs since February 2010.

Service-providing jobs rose 3,400 in February to 976,000. Trade, transportation and utilities showed a decline of 2,900 jobs with retail trade down 2,400 as stores continued to eliminate seasonal retail jobs. Education and health services rose 2,300 in February as educational institutions returned from semester break. Similarly, state and local government also showed education-related increases, up 2,000, and 1,400 respectively.

In the Pittsburgh MSA, seven out of eight service-providing supersectors have shown over-the-year gains. Education and health services (+5,800), leisure and hospitality (+4,500) and professional and business services (+4,200) have shown the greatest over-the-year increases. Information was the only supersector in the Pittsburgh MSA which showed an over-the-year decline, down 700 jobs since February 2010.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Pennsylvania Jobless Rate Falls To 8% In February

Friday, March 18, 2011

By Ann Belser, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The state unemployment rate dropped to 8 percent in February from January's 8.3 percent rate, the state Department of Labor and Industry reported Thursday.

Pennsylvania also reported there were 30,000 more people working statewide in February than there were in January.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is now nearly a full percentage point below the rest of the nation, which logged 8.9 percent unemployment for the month.

Still, the news is actually not good for the long-term unemployed. This week the state announced that unemployment benefits would be reduced from 99 weeks to 93 weeks because, in January, the unemployment rate fell below 8.4 percent and that automatically triggered a reduction in the number of weeks that benefits would be paid.

The January unemployment rate was originally reported at 8.2 percent, but later revised to 8.3 percent. It was the average for November, December and January that triggered the reduction in federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11077/1132749-407.stm

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Job Fair Success!

90 Pittsburgh area companies and 1,400 job seekers attended the 10th annual Spring Pittsburgh Diversity employment Expo. A special thanks to all who attended and helped make this event so successful! A special thanks to the staff at Consol Energy Center!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Spring 2011 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Coming March 15th, 90 Companies Will Be On Hand!


The 10th annual Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Job Fair series will begin this year on March 15th at Consol Energy Center from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Interest is already high among local Pittsburgh employers and 90 companies are expected to be on hand.

Produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com and co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh in association with AARP Foundation WorkSearch and the Allegheny County Department of Veteran's Affairs, featuring career opportunities from Consol Energy, Inc, this event is open to the general public and free for all job seekers.
Positions being offered will be in healthcare, nursing, oil/gas, manufacturing, banking/finance, sales, customer service, retail, military, hospitality, drivers, social services and much more.

Pre-registration for job seekers is not required but doing so will allow faster entrance at the door by-passing the registration table! Job Seekers may pre-register by clicking here.

Pittsburgh area employers are invited to find out more about how they can attend by emailing pittsburghjobs@gmail.com.

Here is the current company list which will be added to as we get closer to the event:
ADP Business Services
All-State Career School
Alorica (customer service and sales)
Aramark CONSOL Energy Center
Arc Human Services
Ariba/Freemarkets
Army National Guard
AVI Food Systems
Bank of America
Bethany Hospice
BNY/Mellon
Callos Companies (office/clerical, manufacturing and more)
Center For Family Planning Research (Magee Hospital)
Institute For Transfusion Medicine (Central Blood Bank)
Citizen Care, Inc
City of Pittsburgh
Combined Insurance
Comcast
Community College of Allegheny County
Community Options
Commute Info
Consol Energy, Inc (engineering and more)
Dish Network
Dollar Bank
Duncan Land + Energy (marcellus shale jobs)
Eaton Corp
ePeople Healthcare
Face 2 Face Sales Solutions
Family Behavioral Recources
Farmers Insurance Group
FedEx SmartPost
First Commonwealth Bank
First National Bank of PA
First Niagara
Five Star Quality Care
G4S Secure Solutions (security guards)
Gallagher Home Health Services
Garfield Jubilee Association
Gateway Health Plan
Geneva College
Glade Run Lutheran Services
GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance
Golden Living Centers
Goodwill
HCR/Manorcare
HHGregg Appliances and Electronics (new retail)
Home Depot
Jim Shorkey Family Auto Group (sales)
Kaplan Career Institute
Kellermeyer Building Services (janitorial)
Life Pittsburgh
Life's Work
Lifesteps, Inc.
Lowe's
Mainstay Life Services
Maxim Healthcare
Monumental Life Insurance
Moriarty Consultants, Inc (Home Healthcare)
NCO (call center)
Northwood Realty
Pittsburgh Job Corp Center
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Tech. Institute-PTI
Premier Pan Company (manufacturing)
Prospector's Group (sales)
Prudential Financial
Prudential Preferred Realty
Quest Diagnostics
Rent a Center (sales, delivery drivers)
Sanford Brown
Sears Stores
South Hills Movers (drivers, helpers)
Southwood Psychiatric Hospital
Steel Town Promotions
StoneMor Partners (sales)
Strayer University
Taco Bell
Transitional Services
U.S. Army R.O.T.C.
U.S. Home Systems (remodeling sales and marketing)
U.S. Navy
United Health Group (Claims Representative Associates)
United Insurance
UPMC
Valvoline Oil Change Centers
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Verizon
Wyotech
YWCA




Truly a 'Burgh Thing!

Truly a 'Burgh Thing!
by Randy Bish, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Job News and Information for Job Seekers and Recruiters

Job News and Information for Job Seekers and Recruiters