Leisure and hospitality, information sectors experience more job losses

Pennsylvania job figures released Thursday from the Department of Labor and Industry (DL&I) show a drop in unemployment figures for the third consecutive month, with 8.6 November unemployment rate and the addition of 5,100 non-farm jobs.

National unemployment is currently 9.8 percent.

Unemployment figures calculate those who are collecting unemployment and do not include those who have stopped collecting unemployment compensation or have given up looking for a job. The months before Christmas also see an uptick in employment as retail employers add seasonal jobs.

Christopher Manlove, spokesperson for the state DL&I, would not call it a “significant” decrease but characterized it as “good news.”

State figures from November show unemployment decreased month-over-month by 13,000 jobs, the fourth consecutive month for a drop in unemployment. November was also the third consecutive month to show unemployment decrease by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month.

Speaking at a press conference, Gov. Ed Rendell took the moment to emphasize Pennsylvania’s unemployment in comparison to the national rate, and to urge Congress to extend unemployment benefits to “jobless Americans.”

“This extremely good news is a testament to the decisions we’ve made to continue investing in crucial economic development, job training and education programs. But even though our economy is improving, many Pennsylvania families are still looking for work and struggling to make ends meet,” Mr. Rendell said.

Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was down 5,000 in November to 6.3 million, and resident employment rose by 9,000, also the third consecutive month of growth. The number of unemployed residents fell by 13,000 to 547,000, down 46,000 from its peak level in July 2010.

Pennsylvania’s labor force was down 32,000 in November 2010 compared to November 2009 while its job count up 57,000, or 1 percent, from November 2009

During November, trade, transportation and utilities showed the largest increase of any labor sector and increased by a total 3,600 jobs.

Other labor sectors that added at least 1,000 jobs were professional and business services; education and health services; construction; government; and manufacturing. Leisure and hospitality, down 6,700 jobs, posted its largest single-month decline since March 1993. Mining and logging showed its first decline of 2010, decreasing by 0.2 percent.

Government increased employment by 1,400 jobs while professional and businesses services grew by 2,300 jobs. In October, government jobs and professional and business jobs both decreased, though the government lost fewer jobs than the professional and business sector.

Construction, which lost 2,200 jobs in October, added 1,900 jobs in November and experienced the largest percentage growth of any sector. Manufacturing also added 1,000 jobs, a 0.2 percent increase.

Nationally, jobs rose for the second consecutive month, up 39,000 in November.