Contact: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov
Total nonfarm jobs hits record high for fifth consecutive month
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for May 2023.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 4.0% in May, the lowest rate on record (back to January 1976). The U.S. unemployment rate rose three-tenths of a percentage point from April to 3.7%. The Commonwealth's unemployment rate was three-tenths of a percentage point below its May 2022 level, and the national rate was up one-tenth of a point over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 1,000 over the month. Resident employment rose by 9,000 over the month and unemployment fell by 9,000.
Pennsylvania's total nonfarm jobs were up 7,900 over the month to a new record high of 6,122,500 in May. This was the fifth month in a row that jobs have set a new all-time high level. Jobs increased from April in nine of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in professional & business services (+3,700), which rose to a record high level.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 151,500 with gains in all 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+47,800) had the largest volume over-the-year gain among supersectors.
Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. May data are preliminary and subject to revision.
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Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.
| Current Labor Force Statistics |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | | Change from | Change from |
| | May | April | May | April 2023 | May 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| PA | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 6,510 | 6,509 | 6,491 | 1 | 0.0% | 19 | 0.3% |
| Employment | 6,251 | 6,242 | 6,213 | 9 | 0.1% | 38 | 0.6% |
| Unemployment | 259 | 268 | 279 | -9 | -3.3% | -20 | -7.2% |
| Rate | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.3 | -0.1 | ---- | -0.3 | ---- |
| | | | | | | | |
| U.S. | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 166,818 | 166,688 | 164,278 | 130 | 0.1% | 2,540 | 1.5% |
| Employment | 160,721 | 161,031 | 158,299 | -310 | -0.2% | 2,422 | 1.5% |
| Unemployment | 6,097 | 5,657 | 5,979 | 440 | 7.8% | 118 | 2.0% |
| Rate | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 0.3 | ---- | 0.1 | ---- |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Note:
June 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on July
21st, 2023. |
| | | | | | |
|
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and
Salary Employment |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | Change from | Change from |
| May | April | May | April 2023 | May 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| | | | | | | |
| Total Nonfarm Jobs | 6,122.5 | 6,114.6 | 5,971.0 | 7.9 | 0.1% | 151.5 | 2.5% |
| | | | | | | | |
| Goods Producing Industries | 853.5 | 855.3 | 843.8 | -1.8 | -0.2% | 9.7 | 1.1% |
| Mining & Logging | 23.3 | 23.1 | 22.2 | 0.2 | 0.9% | 1.1 | 5.0% |
| Construction | 263.9 | 265.3 | 258.5 | -1.4 | -0.5% | 5.4 | 2.1% |
| Manufacturing | 566.3 | 566.9 | 563.1 | -0.6 | -0.1% | 3.2 | 0.6% |
| | | | | | | |
| Service Providing Industries | 5,269.0 | 5,259.3 | 5,127.2 | 9.7 | 0.2% | 141.8 | 2.8% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 1,157.8 | 1,155.2 | 1,143.3 | 2.6 | 0.2% | 14.5 | 1.3% |
| Information | 96.7 | 96.6 | 92.8 | 0.1 | 0.1% | 3.9 | 4.2% |
| Financial Activities | 340.7 | 340.3 | 333.4 | 0.4 | 0.1% | 7.3 | 2.2% |
| Professional & Business Services | 866.0 | 862.3 | 842.6 | 3.7 | 0.4% | 23.4 | 2.8% |
| Education & Health Services | 1,304.2 | 1,303.4 | 1,256.4 | 0.8 | 0.1% | 47.8 | 3.8% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 562.6 | 562.5 | 533.2 | 0.1 | 0.0% | 29.4 | 5.5% |
| Other Services | 255.4 | 254.2 | 248.5 | 1.2 | 0.5% | 6.9 | 2.8% |
| Government | 685.6 | 684.8 | 677.0 | 0.8 | 0.1% | 8.6 | 1.3% |
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| 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 |
|
| | | | | | | |
| Note:
June 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on July
21st, 2023. | |
| | | | | | |
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