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

PetSmart To Open $50 Million Warehouse In Bethel Township

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

National retailer PetSmart plans to open a $50 million distribution warehouse in Berks Park 78 in Bethel Township, creating 500 permanent jobs and 390 construction jobs.

This is the second Fortune 500 company slated to open in the park by January 2014.

A Dollar General distribution center, which plans to employ 500 workers and an additional 75 truckers, announced its plans last month.

Thomas C. McKeon, executive director of the Berks County Industrial Development Authority, said he is ecstatic the two large companies selected Bethel.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=398727

King Of Prussia Wegmans To Open Its Doors Sunday

Location of Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

UPPER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA – “Didn’t there used to be a golf course here?”

There was a gleam in Danny Wegman‘s eye as he cracked a joke, standing on the spot where he and a lot of other folks literally made the earth move – after 16 years of hitches and hurdles.

At a sneak peak of the freshly constructed Wegmans market at 1 Village Drive on Thursday, the company’s amiable CEO said he could hardly believe that his namesake 80th store was three days away from opening in King of Prussia.

The Rochester, N.Y. native recalled how excited his dad, Robert Wegman, was when he first got a glimpse of the North Gulph Road property – then the home of Valley Forge Golf Club – all those years ago.

Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-times-herald/story/king-prussia-wegmans-open-its-doors-sunday/1

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.

Pennsylvania Jobless Rates Dips Again

Image via Wikipedia

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.

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