Philadelphia Fast Facts offer a quick snapshot of the City’s labor market and economy. Fast Facts include labor force statistics, information about individuals exhausting their unemployment compensation benefits, industry data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Philadelphia County employer activities based on published media news reports and articles, New Hires information showing top industries that have been hiring in the past quarter, and a summary of web-based job openings by industry sector and occupational family. These data are made available through the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis at PA Department of Labor & Industry. Below we summarize and provide insight to labor force statistics and unemployment compensation exhaustees information detailed in the Fast Facts April 2012 report and Workforce Information News Report.
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Labor Force Statistics
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Unemployment Rate: Philadelphia County unemployment rate in March 2012 was 10.3 percent*. The unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points compared to February 2012 and by 0.1 point compared to March 2011. Since December 2007 (the start of the Great Recession) the unemployment rate in Philadelphia County increased by 3.9 percentage points. Philadelphia County's unemployment rate remains the highest in comparison to all other local areas in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia’s unemployment rate peaked in July 2010 at 12.5 percent.
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Unemployment: The number of unemployed individuals was 66,600 in March 2012, 1,700 fewer unemployed individuals compared to February 2012 and 200 fewer individuals compared to March 2011. Since December 2007, the number of unemployed individuals in Philadelphia County increased by 26,400.
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Employment: Philadelphia County employment for March 2012 was 579,700. March 2012 employment decreased by 4,200 compared to February 2012 and by 3,200 compared to March 2011.
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Labor Force: Philadelphia County's Labor Force in March 2012 was 646,200. 2,400 more Philadelphians were in the labor force compared to February 2012 and 2,900 more individuals compared to March 2011. Since December 2007 labor force participation increased by 22,200.
*All CWIA data are seasonally adjusted; Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimated February 2012 unadjusted unemployment rate as 10.7percent.
Unemployment Compensation Exhaustees
Over 36,000 individuals exhausted all available federal and state unemployment compensation (UC) benefits during January 2010 through February 2012. Some of the exhaustees who were included in earlier projections had their benefits extended. Unemployment compensation exhaustees in Philadelphia County reported previous experience in Professional and Business Services; Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Education and Health Services; and Leisure and Hospitality, among top industry groupings. Men make up a larger share of exhaustees in Pennsylvania; however in Philadelphia exhaustees are just slightly more likely to be men than women. Philadelphia exhaustees are younger than their counterparts across the State.
Many exhaustees have been out of work for more than a year, making reengagement with the labor market difficult. Newly enacted legislation requires those receiving unemployment compensation starting January 1, 2012 or after to register with the PA CareerLink® system and actively look for work.
| Projected Exhaustees | Jan 2010-Feb 2012 | Actual Mar 2012 | Projected Apr 2012 | Projected May 2012 | Projected Jun 2012 |
| Pennsylvania | 191,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 20,000 | 11,000 |
| Philadelphia County | 36,770 | 1,100 | 1,130 | 3,750 |
2,060 |
| Pre-UC Industry | PA-Count | PA-Percent | Phila.-Count | Phila-Percent |
| Total | 202,000 | 100% | 37,870 | 100% |
| Natural Resources & Mining | 1,140 | 1% | 0 | 0% |
| Construction | 18,960 | 9% | 2,635 | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 31,240 | 15% | 2480 | 7% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 43,790 | 22% | 7,330 | 19% |
| Information | 3,490 | 2% | 530 | 1% |
| Financial Activities | 10,220 | 5% | 2,405 | 6% |
| Professional & Business Services | 42,050 | 21% | 9060 | 24% |
| Education & Health Services | 23,450 | 12% | 6,610 | 17% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 16,300 | 8% | 3830 | 10% |
| Other Services | 5,720 | 3% | 1,330 | 4% |
| Government | 1,970 | 1% | 545 | 1% |
| Unclassified Industry | 3,670 | 2% | 1,120 | 3% |
Employment by Industry Sector
The Center for Workforce Information and Analysis prepared an industry based employment report for Philadelphia City. Workforce Information News Release for April 2012 announced the following industry based workforce news:
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Philadelphia City’s seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs increased 1,600 in March to 657,800 jobs.
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With city jobs down 5,600 from one year ago, March was the eight consecutive month with job totals below the previous year.
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Trade, transportation, and utilities added 1,000 jobs due primarily to gains in seasonal retail trade stores.
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Jobs in professional and business services rose by 700 as landscapers and other outdoor maintenance companies entered into their prime work months.
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Spring break for some schools and universities pulled educational services down 1,900 jobs in March, in line with historical records.
| Establishment Data | Mar-12 | Feb-12 | Mar-11 | Change - Feb 2012 | Change - Mar 2011 |
| TOTAL NONFARM | 655,800 | 654,700 | 661,900 | 1,100 | -6,100 |
| TOTAL PRIVATE | 551,400 | 550,600 | 555,200 | 800 | -3,800 |
| GOODS-PRODUCING | 32,400 | 31,900 | 33,000 | 500 | -600 |
| Mining, Logging, and Construction | 9,100 | 8,900 | 9,200 | 200 | -100 |
| Manufacturing | 23,300 | 23,000 | 23,800 | 300 | -500 |
| SERVICE-PROVIDING | 623,400 | 622,800 | 628,900 | 600 | -5,500 |
| PRIVATE SERVICE-PROVIDING | 519,000 | 518,700 | 522,200 | 300 | -3,200 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 86,900 | 85,900 | 86,000 | 1,000 | 900 |
| Wholesale Trade | 15,400 | 15,300 | 15,600 | 100 | -200 |
| Retail Trade | 46,800 | 46,100 | 45,700 | 700 | 1,100 |
| Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities | 24,700 | 24,500 | 24,700 | 200 | 0 |
| Information | 11,600 | 11,600 | 12,000 | 0 | -400 |
| Financial Activities | 41,100 | 41,000 | 41,700 | 100 | -600 |
| Finance and insurance | 32,700 | 32,800 | 33,300 | -100 | -600 |
| Professional and Business Services | 81,300 | 80,600 | 82,522 | 700 | -1,222 |
| Professional and technical services | 43,000 | 43,200 | 43,700 | -200 | -700 |
| Legal services | 17,000 | 17,000 | 17,300 | 0 | -300 |
| Education and Health Services | 214,300 | 216,500 | 215,100 | -2,200 | -800 |
| Educational services | 73,000 | 74,900 | 74,700 | -1,900 | -1,700 |
| Health care and social assistance | 141,300 | 141,600 | 140,400 | -300 | 900 |
| Hospitals | 60,800 | 60,600 | 59,600 | 200 | 1,200 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 58,800 | 58,300 | 58,600 | 500 | 200 |
| Accommodation and food services | 50,800 | 50,100 | 49,300 | 700 | 1,500 |
| Food services and drinking places | 43,900 | 43,300 | 41,900 | 600 | 2,000 |
| Other Services | 25,000 | 24,800 | 26,300 | 200 | -1,300 |
| Government | 104,400 | 104,100 | 106,700 | 300 | -2,300 |
| Federal Government | 32,300 | 32,200 | 32,100 | 100 | 200 |
| State Government | 11,300 | 11,300 | 11,500 | 0 | -200 |
| Local Government | 60,800 | 60,600 | 63,100 | 200 | -2,300 |
Source: PA Center for Workforce Information & Analysis
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