Pennsylvania Job Growth Continues to Drag

Today, President Obama will visit Carnegie Mellon University to talk about technology and manufacturing jobs. A important topic, considering Pennsylvania continues to fall behind other states when it comes to creating jobs.

Pennsylvania added 11,500 jobs between December 2002 and December 2010, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over that same time frame:

• North Carolina gained more than 40,000 jobs.
• Virginia gained 115,000 jobs.
• Texas added more than 1,039,000.

The slow job growth is intensifying another trend, Pennsylvania’s declining and aging population. It’s no coincidence that states with high job growth are also the most popular destinations for Pennsylvanians. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009 alone, Pennsylvania lost, on net:

• 6,315 residents to Florida;
• 3,570 residents to Texas;
• 3,263 residents to Delaware; and
• 2,556 residents to North Carolina.

From 2000 to 2008, those moving out of Pennsylvania took $3.7 billion in income to other states.

However, things are looking up in Pennsylvania this year. Since January, the state economy has created nearly 20,000 new jobs. Marcellus drilling—without government subsidy—is a major factor driving the new job growth.