Overall unemployment rate stayed flat at 4.5% with the biggest shift in Restaurants & Hotels, which lost 400 roles, based on the most recently available information published in September 2022.
Total employment in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ market rose by 660 jobs in August and the unemployment rate stayed flat. The national unemployment rate stayed flat over the same time period at 3.8%.
- Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ unemployment rate is 71 bps above the national rate which is a negative sign.
- Unemployment in the market is 200 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
- Average wages (per hour) grew in August versus prior month by 1.9% and are up compared to last year at this time in the market.
For key employment segments of the market, total jobs declined by -0.1%. Key sectors include:
- Transportation & Utilities: 94,200; no change
- Education & Healthcare: 74,500; +300
- Business Services: 51,300; +100
- Restaurants & Hotels: 41,800; -400
- Manufacturing: 41,300; -200
- Government: 35,200; +100
- Construction, Mining: 14,700; -200
- Other Jobs: 14,300; -100
- Financial Services: 14,100; no change
- IT & Development: 5,700; no change
Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through August 2022 (Data published September 2022 and reports created on September 28, 2022). Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.
Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.