My Recruiting Blog

Anyone looking for a Pittsburgh job during April may have had better luck, as the city's unemployment rate continued to decline and more employment opportunities were added.

During April, Pittsburgh's unemployment rate decreased from 8.9 percent to 8.1 percent, following a decrease from 9.6 percent during March. The latest decrease keeps the city's rate lower than the national average at the time of 9.9 percent.

Pittsburgh had a total non-farm employment of 1,117,700 workers during April, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,099,900 workers during March, but a .5 percent decrease from last year.

The financial activities industry was the only sector that lost jobs between March and April, as its workforce decreased from 66,100 jobs to 65,900 jobs. Employment in the information industry remained even over the month with 19,200 jobs, while every other industry added jobs over the month.

The construction industry added the most jobs from March to April, increasing by 5,600 workers. Other industries that added jobs over the month include:

• Leisure and hospitality by 4,300 jobs
• Professional and business services by 3,700 jobs
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 1,400 jobs
• Education and health services by 1,200 jobs
• Government by 1,100 jobs
• Other services by 500 jobs
• Mining and logging by 100 jobs
• Manufacturing by 100 jobs

Four industries managed to see a yearly increase in employment during April, with the mining and logging industry growing the most, by 5.7 percent to 5,600 workers. The education and health services industry increased by 1.5 percent to 237,400 jobs.

The leisure and hospitality industry grew by .3 percent between April 2009 and April 2010 to 104,800 jobs, while the other services industry increased by .2 percent during the 12-month period to 51,900 jobs.

The manufacturing industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year, decreasing by 5.4 percent between April 2009 and April of this year, to 84,900 jobs.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• Information by 4 percent
• Financial activities by 1.6 percent
• Construction by 1.3 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by .6 percent
• Professional and business services by .4 percent
• Government by .4 percent

Labels: Pittsburgh job