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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 CafĂ©, 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.

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