Jobless rates fall in region
A 1 percent gain in new jobs in the Pittsburgh region in April helped push unemployment rates to their lowest level so far this year. Fayette County’s jobless rate fell from 8.9 percent in March to 7.2 percent in April. However, that was higher than last April’s 6.8 percent.
Greene County’s rates were 5.4 percent in April, 6.4 percent in March and 5.5 percent in April 2001.
Washington County’s unemployment rates were 5.3 percent in April, 6.7 percent in March and 4.7 percent in April 2001.
Michele Hiester, industry and business analyst for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, said in her monthly employment report that Pittsburgh area employers added more jobs in April and 2,100 people left the labor force.
In specific areas, construction trades added 3,300 jobs over the month; trade added 1,000 jobs; and services added 4,000 jobs.
That helped give the six-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) 4.9 percent unemployment in April. The counties it covers are Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland, Butler, Allegheny and Beaver.
“For the first time this year the rate was below 5 percent,’ Hiester said, adding that the lowest recent rate was in December 2001 at 4.8 percent.
“The number of unemployed residents was down by 3,400 in April,’ she added. “Some 2,100 left the labor force while the rest joined the ranks of employed.
“The April unemployment rate remained higher than last year’s 4.1 percent and it was up .8 of a percentage point annually,’ she said.
Over the year, the labor force grew by 4,400 people. However there were 5,300 fewer-than-expected people who had jobs and 15,000 more in the PMSA who were out of work, she said.
April unemployment rates in Pennsylvania’s major labor market areas ranged from 3.4 percent in April in the State College MSA to 6.8 percent in the Erie, Johnstown, and Williamsport MSAs.
In terms of the job growth in April, area goods producers and service providers added jobs from March to April with more than two-thirds of the monthly gains registered by service providers.
Construction contractors continued their springtime hiring as expected in April and added 3,300 jobs over the month, Hiester said.
Factory jobs were down over the month. Producers of durable goods reduced payrolls by 400 jobs with the largest reduction in fabricated metals, which cut 200 jobs.
Transportation and utilities rose 100 jobs to 69,700. Trade added jobs over the month with restaurants the top gainer with 1,000 more jobs. And, due in part to consumer spending rising in April, wholesale trade followed close behind with 600 more jobs since March, Hiester said.
Finance, insurance and real estate increased its payrolls with real estate adding 300 jobs over the month, “a typical rise in spring,’ Hiester said.
Services employment increased by 4,000 to 414,800 with amusements adding more jobs over the month.
The average weekly paycheck for area factory workers was reduced by $12.98 since weekly hours and average hourly earnings were down from March. Hourly earnings were down one cent and hours were down 48 minutes a week in April.