Friday, January 12, 2007
The Pittsburgh Region’s Anemic Job Growth
Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry shows that the November private payrolls in the Pittsburgh metro stood at 1,028,000, an increase of 5,200 (0.5%) over November 2005. However, it is useful to note that private employment is still 3,500 below the previous high November private job count of 1,031,600 from 2000.
It is no surprise that the service-producing sector accounted for the upswing in jobs, growing 8,000 from November 2005 to November 2006. That growth was offset by a loss of 2,800 in the goods-producing sector including a 3,600 decrease in manufacturing.
We have documented on previous occasions that much of the metro—and state—job growth is coming from the categories of education and health services (up 4,800 or 2.1%) and leisure and hospitality (up 2,700 or 2.5%). Those two categories accounted for 94 percent of the net growth in service-producing jobs, thus showing that the trend continues to hold.
Bear in mind that significant government money is providing major support for the education and health services category, providing further evidence of the overall weakness of private sector growth.
It is no surprise that the service-producing sector accounted for the upswing in jobs, growing 8,000 from November 2005 to November 2006. That growth was offset by a loss of 2,800 in the goods-producing sector including a 3,600 decrease in manufacturing.
We have documented on previous occasions that much of the metro—and state—job growth is coming from the categories of education and health services (up 4,800 or 2.1%) and leisure and hospitality (up 2,700 or 2.5%). Those two categories accounted for 94 percent of the net growth in service-producing jobs, thus showing that the trend continues to hold.
Bear in mind that significant government money is providing major support for the education and health services category, providing further evidence of the overall weakness of private sector growth.
