The Pittsburgh job market kicked off 2024 with modest gains, maintaining its consistent growth trend despite national economic jitters. While not as robust as previous months, January saw an increase in employment opportunities across diverse sectors, indicating Pittsburgh’s economic resilience.
Highlights:
- Total nonfarm employment: Up 0.8% from December 2023 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Unemployment rate: 2.9%, remaining the lowest among major Pennsylvania metro areas (BLS).
- Job growth: Sectors like healthcare, professional & business services, and education & government showed positive trends (ZipRecruiter).
What Industries and Occupations Grew:
- Healthcare: Registered nurses, physician assistants, and home health aides saw strong demand (ZipRecruiter, Indeed).
- Professional & Business Services: Accountants, financial analysts, and marketing specialists were actively recruited (Glassdoor, LinkedIn).
- Education & Government: Teachers, social workers, and administrative assistants filled open positions (Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry).
What Industries and Occupations Shrank:
- Retail: Cashiers, sales associates, and customer service representatives experienced minor job losses (BLS).
- Leisure & Hospitality: Cooks, servers, and bartenders faced some decline in opportunities (ZipRecruiter).
- Manufacturing: Production workers and assemblers saw a slight decrease in job postings (Indeed).
Compare to Same Month Last Year:
- Employment: Up 2.5% compared to January 2023 (BLS).
- Unemployment rate: Lower than January 2023 (3.7%) (BLS).
- Job postings: Increased in healthcare, technology, and education sectors compared to January 2023 (Indeed).
Compare to Previous Month:
- Employment: Slightly lower than December 2023 (BLS).
- Unemployment rate: Remained unchanged from December 2023 (BLS).
- Job postings: Fluctuated across sectors compared to December 2023 (ZipRecruiter).
Future Outlook:
- Experts predict continued job growth in Pittsburgh, led by healthcare, technology, and education sectors (University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research).
- Potential national economic slowdown could pose challenges, but Pittsburgh’s diversified economy offers stability (Pittsburgh Regional Partnership).
10 Growing Occupations:
- Registered Nurse
- Software Developer
- Physician Assistant
- Financial Analyst
- Marketing Specialist
- Teacher
- Social Worker
- Accountant
- Customer Service Representative
- Truck Driver
10 Companies Hiring Now:
- UPMC
- University of Pittsburgh
- Carnegie Mellon University
- PNC Bank
- Highmark Health
- The Kraft Heinz Company
- PPG Industries
- Comcast
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- FedEx
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