The State Department of Labor and Industry released the labor data for September and the results are not encouraging. The seasonally adjusted household data shows that the unemployment rate remained constant from August at 5.7 percent. However, the change in the employment levels inched up just five thousand, while those claiming to be unemployed increased by one thousand.
Payroll data shows more of the same. The seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs fell 5,300 from August. This continues a trend of little to no growth of total nonfarm jobs in the Commonwealth. Going back to March 2016 when the level of seasonally adjusted jobs was 5.894 million to the preliminary September report of 5.895 million, the value has been largely unchanged. This will have an adverse effect on state revenues as tax collections will also stagnate. But given the heavy handed regulations, fealty to unions, and tax policies at the state level, the stagnant economy is not much of a surprise.