Pennsylvania unemployment declines to 4.7 percent in April

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania dipped slightly in April to 4.7 percent, falling onetenth of a percentage point as more people left the workforce, according to the state’s monthly jobs report released on Friday.

For nine consecutive months, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has hovered below 5 percent, swinging like a pendulum between 4.6 percent and 4.9 percent, without hitting the lows seen across the country. U.S. unemployment fell to 3.9 percent in April, the lowest point in 17 years.

What has changed more is the state’s labor force, which has shown nine consecutive months of annual declines. In April, the report showed, the state’s workforce saw a net loss of 57,000 people compared with April 2017. The government counts people as part of the labor force if they are employed or have made specific efforts to look for work in the last month or so.

Hiring remains at the strongest point seen in years. Job growth registered at 1.4 percent for the third consecutive month, with employers adding roughly 83,600 across the state. Nine of the 11 major sectors measured in the jobs report showed annual increases in employment.

Construction remains the fastest-growing major industry, adding 10,000 positions over the year for an annual job growth of 4 percent. Mining and logging, a sector that includes mostly coal mining, showed an annual increase of 2,200 jobs for a total of 28,100 jobs statewide.

Education and health services added 37,800 jobs, for annual growth of 3 percent, and professional and business services added 16,600 jobs, for 2.1 percent growth.

The two sectors showing annual declines were government, which shed 2,200 positions, and information, which lost 1,900 jobs.

The state is scheduled to report the Pittsburgh region’s jobs and unemployment statistics for April on May 29.