The Lancaster County workforce experienced growth in nine of the ten supersectors in November, a positive change from the prior month. Leisure and Hospitality, which includes Accommodation and Food Service (hotels, restaurants, bars) experienced a seasonal decrease of 1,000 workers. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality has shown a steady recovery, second only to Professional and Business Services and Manufacturing (tied at +1,500).
The Unemployment Rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels, hitting 3.6%, a level the county hasn’t seen since January 2020. A low unemployment rate is a sign of a healthy workforce system, where jobseekers can move between industries/occupations, and opportunity exists. However, the biggest difference between January 2020 and November 2021 data is the total labor force (sum of those working and those unemployed, but looking for work). The total labor force deficit continues to hover around 13,000 compared to 2020, when Labor Force Participation topped 288,900.
With growing demand in higher skill, higher wage jobs, and a steady unemployment rate, the challenge to the economic recovery and growth continues to be to attract more workers to the labor market, to upskill and retrain current workers, and to think differently about how we do business, how we adapt to the 4th Industrial Revolution, and how we continue to support all people as the most valuable commodity to our workforce.
For more information, you can view the November 2021 Lancaster County Profile and the latest Workforce Information News Release
