There have been three essential
changes in workforce opportunities.
Philadelphia's Workforce
Philadelphia is served by five one-stop centers. 
Through the federal Workforce Investment Act and the assistance of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is served by five one-stop employment centers called PA CareerLink Centers. These centers serve anyone who is looking for a job and needs assistance.
Who is Philadelphia's Workforce?
The state of Philadelphia's workforce is a story of change from past patterns and of preparation for future paths. There have been three essential changes in workforce opportunities:
Changing industry mix. In 1970, one in four Philadelphian workers was employed in manufacturing. Today, one in twenty workers works in manufacturing. Philadelphia has become a knowledge-based economy. Our largest private sector industries of healthcare and education require large numbers of workers with advanced skills, abilities and knowledge.
Employment by Industry
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Source: US Census 1970 and US ACS 2005-2007
For more detail, see the industry trends below.
Changing work. Work has changed since 1970. Typewriters are technology of the past. Today, office workers use computers to schedule meetings, coordinate multiple calendars, and track information. Manufacturing workers control machinery via digital readouts requiring interpretation and must coordinate with teams across the plant. Workers need strong foundations to be the flexible, learning employees of today.
Emerging occupations continually refine and expand our ideas about work.
Changes in occupations reflected in the upcoming 2010 Standard Occupational Codes 
For the present occupational mix, see below.
Changing employment practices. Since 1980, hiring practices have been changing. Employees who start in the mail room can no longer expect to move up through the company to management. Instead, many companies hire workers from outside the company at all levels-seeking an exact match of skills and abilities needed for the work at that specific time.
Turnover rates, the number of positions in a firm that were held by a different worker over a period of time, have never returned to the 1998 levels. In 1998, 7.8% of jobs had a replacement worker during a 3 month period. In 2007, the turnover rate is over 9% each quarter.
Source: US Census Bureau Quarterly Workforce Indicators
Detailed Tables on Industries and Occupations
Sources: 1970, 2000, 2005-2007: US Census Bureau; 1980 + 1990: Minnesota Population Center, NHGIS
2005-2007 | |
Management, business, and financial | 10.7% |
Professional: Computer and mathematical | 2.1% |
Professional: Architecture and engineering | 1.1% |
Professional: Life, physical, and social science | 1.2% |
Professional: Community and social services | 2.7% |
Professional: Legal | 1.6% |
Professional: Education, training, and library | 5.9% |
Professional: Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media | 1.8% |
Professional: Heathcare practitioner and technical | 5.8% |
Service: Healthcare support | 3.8% |
Service: Protective service | 3.8% |
Service: Food preparation and serving related | 5.6% |
Service: Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance | 4.6% |
Service: Personal care and service | 3.6% |
Sales and related | 9.0% |
Office and administrative support | 18.1% |
Agricultural workers | 0.1% |
Fishing, hunting, and forest | 0.01% |
Construction and extraction | 4.1% |
Installation, maintenance, and repair | 2.5% |
Production | 5.6% |
Transportation and material moving | 6.1% |
Source: US Census American Community Survey 2005-2007