Lehigh Valley Unemployment Remains at 8% in May

The Lehigh Valley unemployment rate was 8.0 percent in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, remaining above both national and Pennsylvania levels, based on a data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The May rate is unchanged from April.

Lehigh Valley unemployment peaked in March 2010 at 9.6 percent, around the same time that U.S. unemployment reached its peak of 10.0 percent and Pennsylvania reached 8.7 percent. To be considered officially unemployed, one must be actively looking for a job but unable to find acceptable employment.

Lehigh Valley's unemployment rate had been below that of the U.S. as whole until early 2012, when the area's unemployment increased even as the U.S. rate continued to decrease. The local unemployment rate has been at or above that of Pennsylvania since late 2007.

On an unadjusted basis, the local unemployment rate increased from 7.6 to 7.8 percent from April to May. The BLS defines the local metro area as Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and the surrounding areas.

(Seasonally adjustment of Lehigh Valley unemployment rates courtesy of dattaman.com.)