Jobs and Unemployment

Bursting the Shale Jobs' Balloon

Posted by Jan Jarrett on June 17, 2015 3:46 pm

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The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has corrected “glaring errors” in the way it counts jobs related to gas drilling and drastically revised downward the number by 160,000 jobs. Instead of the 200,000 to 339,000 jobs the industry claims it has created, Labor and Industry now counts around 90,000 gas drilling jobs in Pennsylvania, with 30,000 of those in core drilling industries.

Weekly KRC/PBPC News Wrap-up for March 2 - 6

Posted by Shelley Aragoncillo on March 9, 2015 11:12 am

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This was a big week for budget analysts as Gov. Wolf delivered his first budget address and presented his first state budget on Tuesday. He gave us plenty to dig into with an ambitious $29.9 billion proposal to fill the existing $2.3 billion deficit while also restoring $1 billion in education cuts, reducing school property taxes by $3.8 billion beginning in 2016, and funding a $1.75 billion job growth initiative.

Selling "Gator Oil" in Philadelphia -- and Why Pennsylvania Has Nothing to Worry About

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on February 23, 2015 5:33 pm

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott is in Philadelphia today and tomorrow peddling the attractions of the Sunshine State to Pennsylvania businesses. On this frigid February day I'll give him the warmer weather.

But that's about all I'll concede.

Making Work Pay Coalition Forms to Help Working Families

Posted by Jeff Garis on February 3, 2015 1:17 pm

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More than two dozen advocacy and direct-service organizations from across the commonwealth, including the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, have united to champion measures to help working families care for their children and get ahead.

Tens of thousands of hard-working, low-wage earners in Pennsylvania – such as domestic care providers, fast food employees, and retail workers – struggle every day to provide for their families. Despite steady income and long workdays, many of these families still have trouble making ends meet.

Pennsylvania is now dead last in job growth since January 2011

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on October 21, 2014 3:10 pm

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Jobs and Unemployment

As we reported on Monday new jobs data for September were not encouraging with payrolls in Pennsylvania falling 9,600 jobs over the month.

According to data for all the states released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 39 states.

September job losses mark three consecutive months of job loss in Pennsylvania

Posted by Mark Price on October 20, 2014 12:44 pm

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Jobs and Unemployment

On Friday the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reported that the unemployment rate fell from 5.6% to 5.7% while nonfarm payrolls fell by 9,600 jobs in September.

A funny thing happened to our data on the way to Philadelphia

Posted by Mark Price on October 6, 2014 10:29 am

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If you have been following this gubernatorial election, or just watching television, you might have noticed that the Wolf campaign has been arguing that 27,000 jobs were lost in education in Pennsylvania. That’s a figure my colleagues and I released in late August in our annual State of Working Pennsylvania. To generate that number we used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate education employment in local governments in the 2010-11 school year, which ran from July 2010 to June 2011.

August job growth disappoints in Pennsylvania

Posted by Mark Price on September 19, 2014 4:33 pm

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Jobs and Unemployment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that nonfarm payrolls in Pennsylvania grew by 100 jobs in August and the unemployment rate edged up slightly to 5.8%.

To be clear that 100 is not missing a zero.

The jobs picture with respect to resident employment was actually substantially worse as 35,000 fewer residents reported having a job in August.

Facts on Marcellus Shale Jobs and Taxes

Posted by Shelley Aragoncillo on June 26, 2014 11:05 am

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Last night, the House of Representatives passed a budget plan for 2014-15. However, how this plan is paid for is still a mystery. One commonsense idea that could still be included in the budget is the passage of severance tax on natural gas drillers. For 2014-15 a 5% tax could raise over $400 million in new funds above the current impact fee. This could go a long way in restoring funding cut out of the House budget plan.

This is what the business lobby looks like on drugs

Posted by Mark Price on June 25, 2014 12:00 am

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I just read this Mother Jones story on a letter from the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) that focuses on whether or not auto insurance is affordable for low income consumers. In making the case for the affordability of the auto insurance products of its members, NAMIC quoted statistics from the Consumer Expenditures Survey:

Third and State