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September Jobs Report: Unemployment Rate Ticks Down

Unemployment-300x225The Department of Labor & Industry released its monthly jobs report today, giving Governor Corbett some much-needed good news as the campaign heads into its final weeks.

The Good News

Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined by one-tenth of a percentage point in September to 5.7%. It is the lowest the unemployment rate has been in the state since May and June saw a five-year low at 5.6 percent.

In addition to the slight decrease, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained below the national rate, which currently stands at 5.9%.

The report points out that since September 2013, the state unemployment rate has decreased 1.6 percentage points, compared to the decline on the national level of 1.3 percent.

Over the year, nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania are up 0.6%. Most of this growth has occurred in the private industry, with gains being made in trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services, and professional and business services.

Governor Corbett was pleased with the unemployment figures released this morning.

“We are building a stronger Pennsylvania each and every day, and that is reflected in today’s jobs report,” stated Governor Tom Corbett. “Over the past four years we have laid a solid foundation for our future and have undone the previous administration’s damage that left us with a $4.2 billion deficit and an 8.1 percent unemployment rate.

“While I am extremely optimistic of the direction our state is headed under my administration’s leadership, I am equally as worried about what will happen under a Wolf administration, he continued. “Tom Wolf wants to take our income tax rate from one of the lowest rates in the country to the 8th highest rate in the country. Like the NFIB, which represents over 15,000 small businesses in Pennsylvania, I am worried that Tom Wolf’s massive income tax hike will impede an employer’s ability to create private sector jobs.”

“Tom Wolf’s plan is to do his best President Obama impression though higher taxes and higher spending, and that is the reason why I wake up every morning and continue fighting for a stronger Pennsylvania,” Governor Corbett concluded.

The OK News

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was essentially unchanged from the previous month (6,344 in August vs. 6,347 in September). Employment rose by 11,000 people, while unemployment was down by 8,000 people.

The Bad News

Despite a drop in the unemployment rate, the total number of nonfarm jobs decreased for the third consecutive month. In September, the total number decreased by 9,600 to 5,782,600 – down 0.2%.

2 Responses

  1. @M.R. Birkos
    Have you ever looked at a graph before? We are fluctuating around a 5 year low in the unemployment rate. That’s normal, there’s nothing wrong with that, especially considering fluctuations in the 10ths of a percent. It’s normal, there’s no such thing as a solid straight line.

  2. July & August – unemployment ticked up. September – it ticks down – unleash the trumpets. No mention of the nonfarm job drop for the third consecutive month.

    16 September was the day PA’s general fund ruptured $700 million, barely 2 1/2 months in to Corbett’s balanced 2014 budget. Needed emergency fund transfers and a $1.5 billion line of credit, this as Moody’s and S&P tanked our credit rating.

    Millionaire Governor Corbett uses fake pics and discredited data in $16 million worth of largely ignored attack ads, so we know he thinks we are stupid.

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