Amarillo had the month’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.8 percent, followed by Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock with rates of 2.9 and 3.1 percent, respectively, in May. Education and health services was a bright spot, adding 3,400 jobs in April and reporting 26,100 more jobs than available in May 2015, a growth of about 2 percent of its workforce.
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Cheryl Stanton, executive director of the Department of Employment and Workforce, said she was pleased that employers are hiring but added SC still has “work to do matching people to jobs as there are more than 60,000 jobs available across the state”. People who have given up searching for a job or are discouraged because they can not find more hours are not included in the count. Pennsylvania’s rate remained above that of the United States, which was down three-tenths of a percentage point to 4.7 percent.
“Arkansas’ jobless rate declined to 3.8 percent in May, as the number of unemployed dropped to 51,773”.
Only four state counties – Lexington and Charleston (both 4.0 percent), Jasper and Greenville (both 4.1 percent) – reported lower unemployment rates in May than Anderson. Government and information services also gained jobs. Jobs in educational and health services rose 7,000 and gains occurred in health care and social assistance, with 6,800 jobs added.
In a year-over-year comparison (May 2015 to May 2016), nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 440,300 jobs (up 2.8 percent).
If the next seven months continue at that pace, DE employment would be up by 30,000 for the year. The national unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month, down from 5 percent in April. It is expected to create more than 500 jobs when it opens next year. But the state’s jobless rate exceeded 12 percent for more than a year during the height of the economic downturn.
Trade, transportation and utilities lost 1,200 jobs (-0.2%) over the month. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says almost 13,000 Hoosiers found employment last month.
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Construction posted the largest gain on a percentage basis, up 5.5 percent- adding 39,600 jobs. Manufacturing added 600 jobs, all in durable goods manufacturing. This sector has decreased by 1,200 jobs from a year ago.
