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Job growth shows economy improving, state official says

3 min read

An increase of nearly 10,000 jobs from April to May helped drive down jobless rates in the Pittsburgh region, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said. Michele Hiester, in her monthly employment report, noted the unemployment rate in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) in May fell to 5 percent from 5.1 percent in April. She said there were 9,500 more jobs that came from “continued seasonal gains in construction, natural resources and mining, and leisure and hospitality,’ that countered “typical reductions at colleges and universities.

“Comparatively, the average April-to-May gain in total jobs since 2000 was 8,900,’ Hiester said.

Locally, jobless rate declines were more pronounced.

Fayette County’s unemployment rates were 7.1 percent in May; 7.4 percent in April; and 7.4 percent in May 2004.

The number of people in Fayette’s labor force rose from 66,000 in April to 66,200 in May. The number of employed Fayette residents also rose from 61,100 in April to 61,500 in May. The number of jobless Fayette residents fell from 4,900 to 4,700 from April to May, the state reported.

In Greene County, unemployment was 5.8 percent in May; 6 percent in April; and 6.3 percent in May 2004. Greene County’s labor force totaled 17,700 in May, up 100 from April. The number of Greene residents employed during May was 16,700, also up 100 from April. And the number of unemployed Greene residents hit 1,000 in May from 1,100 in April.

Washington County’s unemployment rates were 4.9 percent in May; 5.2 percent in April; and 5.5 percent in May 2004. Washington’s labor force data was 101,900 in May, of which 97,000 were employed and 5,000 were not; 101,700 in April, of which 96,400 were employed and 5,300 were not.

Fayette and Washington counties are included in the PMSA, as are Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver and Westmoreland.

“May is a time when recent college graduates traditionally begin their search for permanent work and students apply for summer jobs pushing the not-seasonally-adjusted labor force level up over the month.

“The region’s labor force and resident employment levels both expanded in excess of seasonal expectations indicating that there was increased optimism about job prospects and many residents became employed in May,’ she said.

“As the labor force expanded, the number of working PMSA residents increased by 19,000 over the year with the unemployment rolls shrinking by 6,300, evidence that the economy is continuing to improve,’ Hiester said.

Compared to May 2004, total nonfarm jobs in the PMSA were up 1,900, keeping the job level above the year-ago-count for the ninth consecutive month. “The May 2005 level continued to edge toward the record high May 2001 count, having added 4,500 jobs since May 2003. However, total jobs remained 17,800 behind the May 2001 level. In comparison, the April 2005 total job level was 21,300 below April 2001 and 2,600 above April 2003,’ Hiester reported.

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