U.S. Employers Add 165,000 Jobs; Rate Falls To 7.5 Percent

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in April, and hiring was much stronger in the previous two months than the government first estimated.  The job increases helped reduce the unemployment rate from 7.6 percent to a four-year low of 7.5 percent.

The report today from the Labor Department was a reassuring sign that the U.S. job market is improving despite higher taxes and government spending cuts that took effect this year.

The government revised up its estimate of job gains in February and March by a combined 114,000.  It now says employers added 332,000 jobs in February and 138,000 in March.  The economy has created an average of 208,000 jobs a month from November through April — above the 138,000 added in the previous six months.

The number of unemployed fell 83,000 to 11.7 million.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=474934

Lancaster County Jobless Rate Drops in February

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster County’s unemployment rate slipped to 6.8 percent in February, the state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday.

By declining slightly from January’s 6.9 percent, the county’s rate remained among the best in Pennsylvania.

Of the state’s 14 metropolitan areas, only State College (6.0 percent) and Lebanon (6.7 percent) had better unemployment rates.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had the worst, at 9.8 percent.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/833506_County-jobless-rate-drops-in-Feb-.html#ixzz2PLlDgtjp

Pa. May Pull Back On Funding For Redevelopment Projects

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HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s most sweeping economic development programs could see a limited spending cap and permanent guidelines under a recently passed proposal.

The state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (often called “R-Cap”) provides grants with borrowed money for private projects pursued by municipalities and local agencies.

That could include hospital expansions, parking garages or community centers — any project with a cultural, civic or historical connection that could create jobs and be tied to economic development.

But the program is often criticized as a questionable source of ballooning debt.

RACP’s debt ceiling is $4.05 billion, about 10 times what it was when it was created in 1986.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130224/NEWS03/130229703/pa-may-pull-back-on-funding-for-redevelopment-projects#full_story

Lancaster County Jobless Rate Improved Slightly

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The jobless rate in Lancaster County fell in November to 6.6 percent, the state announced Thursday.

By declining from October’s 6.7 percent, the local jobless rate decreased for the first time since April.

“It’s a slow go,” said Bill Sholly, an analyst with the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Sholly explained that employers typically are cautious about rebuilding their work forces after a recession.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/799290_Jobless-rate-here-improved-slightly.html#ixzz2GxQXClVI

Lehigh Valley Jobless Rate Cimbs

The Lehigh Valley‘s unemployment rate crept up in September as the labor force continued to grow at a faster pace than businesses are hiring.

A total of 394,200 Valley residents had jobs in September, up 200 from August, according to data released Wednesday by the state Department of Labor and Industry. But the labor force grew by 500 in the same period to hit 432,200. That imbalance between job seekers and opportunities pushed the unemployment rate to 8.8 percent in September, up from 8.7 percent in August.

Sluggish job growth has been a nagging strain on the Valley economy for several months. Businesses are consistently adding jobs — the number of Valley residents employed in September was up 9,400 from a year earlier. But the labor force continues to grow at a faster pace, and September’s unemployment rate is unchanged from a year earlier.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-lehigh-valley-jobs-september-20121031,0,2759536.story

Unemployment Rate Up In NEPA; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Only Metro Area In State Above 9 Percent

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An increase in job-seekers and a decrease in jobs drove August’s residential unemployment rate in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area up two-tenths of a percentage point to 9.4 percent.

Read more:

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/unemployment-rate-up-in-region-only-metro-in-state-above-9-percent-1.1381418

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Jobless Rate Jumps To Nine-Month High

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Unemployment in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area shot to a nine-month high in June, according to data released today by the state Department of Labor and Industry.

The rate hit 9.3 percent, up sixth-tenths of a percentage point from May. It was the region’s highest jobless rate since September, when it was 9.7 percent.

“It’s negative, there’s no question, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” said Anthony Liuzzo, Ph.D., a business and economics professor at Wilkes University. “It takes the wind out of our sails a little bit when we see numbers like this.”

The region’s unemployment rate remained Pennsylvania’s highest for the 27th consecutive month.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/region-s-jobless-rate-jumps-to-nine-month-high-1.1352249

Lancaster County’s Jobless Rate Edges Up To 6.2 Percent

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Lancaster County unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.2 percent in May, the state Department of Labor & Industry reported Monday.

The increase from April’s 6.1 percent was the first uptick in the local jobless rate since August.

Despite edging higher, the Lancaster County jobless rate remained among the best in Pennsylvania.

Of the 14 metropolitan areas in the state, only State College (5.5 percent) and Lebanon (6.1 percent) fared better.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/676707_Lancaster-County-s-jobless-rate-edges-up-to-6-2-percent.html#ixzz1z2IHzaBK

Lancaster County Jobless Rate Dips To 6%

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster County‘s unemployment rate receded again in March, the state said Monday.

The jobless rate slid to 6.0 percent from February’s 6.2 percent, the fifth consecutive monthly decline.

The new rate is the lowest in Lancaster County since January 2009, when the rate stood at 5.9 percent.

“We still might have the occasional blip here or there, but the rate is heading in the right direction,” said Bill Sholly, an analyst with the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/638749_Lancaster-County-jobless-rate-dips-to-6-.html#ixzz1tm1RlTiK

Lehigh Valley Labor Market Continues To Improve

City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Lehigh Valley labor market continued to improve in February, with businesses adding jobs and residents finding work.

The Valley had 337,600 jobs in February, up 6,400 compared with the same month a year ago, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Labor and Industry. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent in February, down from 8.2 percent in January and the lowest it’s been since March 2009. 

The job gains came through most of the private sector. Jobs added at hospitals, hotels, temporary staffing firms, warehouses and stores were partially offset by losses in manufacturing and government.

Pa. Jobless Rate Falls Again

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Harrisburg, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s employment picture continues to brighten, as the rate fell in January to 7.6 percent.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120302/NEWS03/120309926/-1/NEWS

Glum Econmic News For June

The economic recovery slowed down in June.  Consumer spending fell by .02 percent, which can be blamed in part on rising gas and food prices.  Workers saw incomes rise by only .01 percent, the smallest increase in nine months.  On a positive note, personal savings rose 5.4 percent.

Hiring in June was at the lowest level in nine months.  Only 18,000 net jobs were added and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2%.

Some economic forecasters are lowering their outlook for economic growth in the second half of the year from 2.5 percent to 2.0 percent.

Pennsylvania’s Jobless Rate Declined In May

Good news on the unemployment front in Pennsylvania.  The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that our state’s jobless rate declined to 7.4% in May.  While this is a very modest change from 7.5% in April, Pennsylvania is still heading in the right direction!  We can’t say that about other states!

Pennsylvania Jobless Rate Drops Again

The Pennsylvania jobless rate for November dropped to 8.6% while the nationally the unemployment rate rose to 9.8%.  November marked the fourth straight month unemployment in Pennsylvania has decreased.

Pennsylvania Jobless Rates Dips Again

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The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania has dropped for the third consecutive month.  October’s rate fell to 8.8%, down from 9.0% in September.