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Northeast PA’s greatest asset for business recruitment is the quality, availability and affordability of our workforce. The area’s 16 colleges and universities and strong K-12 system combine with an ingrained and nationally recognized work ethic to produce some of the best and brightest workers in America. Please read what just a few of our employers have to say about their great employees and then review the tables below to learn more about Northeast PA’s labor supply.
The Hazleton plant has been the best-performing plant for at least the last 10 years. Soon, we are going to be passing out about 30 service awards to employees who have been here 20, 25, 30, 35 years.”
- John Kittredge
Fabri-Kal
The main reason for our success is our people. We have dedicated, hard-working people who give 100% all of the time. We have super employees.”
- John Meir
Human Resources Manager
Bemis Hazleton plant
It’s almost like the area (Northeast PA) defines what work ethic is. People come to work with an eagerness and willingness to get the job done.”
- John Rhodes
Principal
Moran, Stahl & Boyer
We have a great workforce. We have capable people who are passionate about achieving their goals. We are in a low-cost area yet we have people with the skills you might think you would find only in a high cost area. Everything in Northeast PA is just right. It’s the Goldilocks theory of doing business."
- Scott Meuser
Chairman & CEO
Pride Mobility Products Corporation, Pittston
Every one of our employees has a great attitude. They feel that there is no job too big or too small. They’re all hard workers with the desire to learn and hone their skills so they can advance to the next level”
George F. Hayden
Vice President, Operations
George J. Hayden, Inc., Hazleton
We have a tremendous group of dedicated, hard working people who helped us pull together a triumphant year…and we’ve found this to be a very cost effective area to find intelligent, skilled people.”
Jessica Chessman
President
igourmet.com, Pittston
Industry Employment Data in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA for 2004
| Industry Title |
|
| TOTAL NONFARM JOBS |
|
| Health Care & Social Assistance |
|
40,260
|
| Manufacturing |
35,210
|
| Retail Trade |
33,990
|
| Educational Services |
21,260
|
| Accommodation & Food Services |
19,620
|
| Government |
16,300
|
| Transportation |
12,360
|
| Administrative & Waste Services |
12,330
|
| Finance & Insurance |
11,780
|
| Wholesale Trade |
10,620
|
| Other Services, Except Public Admin. |
10,190
|
| Construction |
9,880
|
| Professional & Technical Services |
7,280
|
| Information |
6,440
|
| Utilities |
2,510
|
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing |
2,290
|
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation |
2,160
|
| Management of Companies & Enterprises |
1,250
|
| Mining |
450
|
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, & Hunting |
220
|
Source: PA Dept of Labor and Industry
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Employment and Unemployment Data for Northeast & North Central, PA Counties
|
|
Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre/Pittston/Hazleton)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
158,700
|
149,900
|
8,800
|
5.5
|
| 2005 |
158,100
|
149,000
|
9,200
|
5.8
|
| 2004 |
157,000
|
146,500
|
10,500
|
6.7
|
| 2003 |
155,300
|
145,200
|
10,100
|
6.5
|
| 2002 |
155,300
|
145,200
|
10,100
|
6.5
|
|
Lackawanna County (Scranton)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
106,200
|
100,900
|
5,400
|
5
|
| 2005 |
105,800
|
100,200
|
5,600
|
5.3
|
| 2004 |
105,000
|
98,700
|
6,300
|
6
|
| 2003 |
103,800
|
97,700
|
6,100
|
5.9
|
| 2002 |
104,100
|
97,800
|
6,300
|
6.1
|
|
Monroe County (Stroudsburg)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
80,000
|
75,800
|
4,200
|
5.2
|
| 2005 |
78,400
|
74,000
|
4,400
|
5.6
|
| 2004 |
76,600
|
72,200
|
4,500
|
5.8
|
| 2003 |
74,300
|
69,900
|
4,400
|
5.9
|
| 2002 |
73,800
|
69,500
|
4,300
|
5.8
|
|
Schuylkill County (Pottsville)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
71,500
|
67,500
|
4,000
|
5.6
|
| 2005 |
70,900
|
66,700
|
4,200
|
5.9
|
| 2004 |
70,200
|
65,400
|
4,800
|
6.9
|
| 2003 |
69,500
|
64,500
|
4,900
|
7.1
|
| 2002 |
70,100
|
65,200
|
4,900
|
6.9
|
|
Columbia County (Bloomsburg/Berwick)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
34,500
|
32,600
|
1,900
|
5.6
|
| 2005 |
34,200
|
32,200
|
2,000
|
5.9
|
| 2004 |
33,700
|
31,400
|
2,200
|
6.6
|
| 2003 |
32,700
|
30,500
|
2,200
|
6.7
|
| 2002 |
32,700
|
30,700
|
2,100
|
6.3
|
|
Centre County (State College)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
73,100
|
70,300
|
2,800
|
3.9
|
| 2005 |
72,700
|
69,800
|
2,900
|
4
|
| 2004 |
72,000
|
68,800
|
3,300
|
4.5
|
| 2003 |
70,700
|
67,600
|
3,100
|
4.4
|
| 2002 |
72,000
|
69,000
|
3,100
|
4.3
|
|
Lycoming County (Williamsport)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force
|
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
| 2006 |
59,000
|
55,800
|
3,200
|
5.4
|
| 2005 |
59,600
|
56,300
|
3,200
|
5.5
|
| 2004 |
60,100
|
56,500
|
3,700
|
6.1
|
| 2003 |
59,000
|
55,400
|
3,600
|
6
|
| 2002 |
59,600
|
55,900
|
3,700
|
6.2
|
|
Northumberland County (Sunbury)
|
| Year |
Civilian Labor Force |
Employment
|
Unemployment
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
|
|
2006
|
47,200
|
44,600
|
2,600
|
5.4
|
| 2005 |
47,400
|
44,700
|
2,600
|
5.6
|
| 2004 |
46,400
|
43,400
|
3,000
|
6.4
|
| 2003 |
45,100
|
42,000
|
3,100
|
6.9
|
| 2002 |
45,700
|
42,700
|
3,000
|
6.6
|
Source:
Annual Salaries of Surveyed Northeast PA
Transportation and Warehousing Employers
Transportation and Warehousing Employers
Fall, 2005 |
| Occupation |
Avg. Starting
Rate
|
Median Starting
Rate
|
| General Business and Office Support |
| Accounting clerks/bookkeepers |
$20,769 |
$20,800 |
| Administrative Assistants |
$23,019 |
$23,400 |
| Clerical workers w/ adv. computer. skills |
$21,497 |
$20,800 |
| Computer/office tech. support specialists |
$25,297 |
$26,624 |
| Database administrators |
$35,000 |
$35,000 |
| Dispatcher |
$31,744 |
$31,200 |
| Office clerks |
$20,464 |
$21,112 |
| Shipping and receiving clerk |
$22,746 |
$22,880 |
| Management and Supervisory |
| 1st-line supervisors/managers |
$34,873 |
$35,000 |
| Human resource manager |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
| Management trainees |
$32,060 |
$32,060 |
| Traffic/logistics managers |
$43,333 |
$45,000 |
| Transportation, storage and dist. mgrs. |
$42,610 |
$42,500 |
| Transportation and Material-Moving |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
$24,700 |
$24,700 |
| Freight, stock, and material-movers, hand |
$19,594 |
$19,781 |
| General laborers |
$20,867 |
$20,800 |
| Hand packagers and packagers |
$17,726 |
$15,829 |
| Forklift operators |
$21,614 |
$20,530 |
| Inv. ctrl/shipping & receiving clerk |
$23,673 |
$23,504 |
| Material-moving workers, all other |
$25,861 |
$23,504 |
| Mechanics, diesel |
$27,317 |
$26,000 |
| Mechanics, trucks |
$23,781 |
$26,000 |
| Tractor-trailer truck drivers |
$27,319 |
$27,040 |
| Truck drivers, heavy |
$26,104 |
$27,040 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
$25,307 |
$27,040 |
| Warehouse associate/warehouse clerk |
$21,154 |
$20,405 |
| Other |
| Those willing to work 2nd shift |
$23,071 |
$23,400 |
| Those willing to work 3rd shift |
$22,672 |
$22,776 |
| Seasonal workers |
$21,979 |
$24,960 |
Source: The Wadley Donovan Group
| Average Annual Earnings by Industry by Northeast PA County, 2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
---
|
Total
|
$27,926
|
$28,686
|
$28,961
|
$28,192
|
$26,300
|
$35,594
|
$36,967
|
|
31---
|
Manufacturing
|
$33,906
|
$35,806
|
$57,764
|
$34,328
|
$33,877
|
$41,823
|
$42,890
|
|
42---
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Wholesale Trade
|
$36,690
|
$36,142
|
$38,864
|
$32,318
|
$32,487
|
$48,921
|
$49,191
|
|
48---
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Transportation & Warehousing
|
$29,047
|
$27,196
|
$53,037
|
$29,753
|
$25,989
|
$32,427
|
$36,167
|
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, County Business Patterns
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Comparison of Northeast PA Financial Services Sector Salaries to other Metro Areas
|
|
|
U.S. Avg.
|
Northeast PA Avg.
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
New York, NY |
Boston, MA
|
Hartford, Ct
|
|
|
$90,760
|
$90,200
|
$88,270
|
$111,530
|
$87,760
|
$91,050
|
| Insurance Claims Processor |
|
$31,700
|
$30,300
|
$30,880
|
$34,600
|
$38,560
|
$34,420
|
|
Insurance Underwriter
|
$56,480
|
$59,000
|
$57,600
|
$72,320
|
$70,110
|
$63,280
|
|
Customer Service Rep.
|
$29,680
|
$25,900
|
$30,490
|
$36,890
|
$39,350
|
$35,280
|
|
Accountant
|
$58,020
|
$56,800
|
$65,530
|
$72,560
|
$61,780
|
$62,260
|
|
Securities & Financial Services Sales
|
$87,990
|
$71,700
|
$94,910
|
$114,180
|
$116,880
|
$113,180
|
|
Systems Analyst
|
$70,430
|
$63,900
|
$70,280
|
$78,240
|
$73,910
|
$71,830
|
|
Computer Programmer
|
$67,400
|
$57,100
|
$63,460
|
$74,850
|
$82,160
|
$65,530
|
Source: Moran, Stahl & Boyer 2006 Employer Survey
For information on our workforce, visit http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/default.asp
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