Pa. profiles its unemployment ranks

Many of Pennsylvania's 600,000 unemployed people are educated and facing joblessness for the first time, according to a report issued today by the state Department of Labor and Industry.

"This report illustrates with clarity the challenges faced by citizens who, through no fault of their own, have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet," said Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito.

The department said it prepared the report, called "A Profile of Pennsylvania's Unemployed People," to guide the state legislature and the public in forming policies about job-creation and assistance for the unemployed. The profile was based on unemployment as of June.

Among the report's highlights:

15 percent of Pennsylvania's unemployed are college graduates, and another 24 percent have some college education. In all, 233,000 of the 600,000 total unemployed have more than a high school education.

The number without jobs for 26 weeks or more - considered long-term unemployed - nearly quadrupled to 232,000 from a maximum of 65,000 between 2004 and 2008.

Whites make up 74 percent of the unemployed compared with a white population of 83 percent in Pennsylvania.

Blacks comprise 13 percent of the unemployed and 9 percent of the state's population.

Hispanics account for 9 percent of the unemployed and 4 percent of the population.

Most of the unemployed - 58 percent - are between 25 and 58 years old, but 17 percent are over 55 and another 17 percent are between 20 and 24. The rest are between 16 and 19.

Of the total unemployed, about half had no claims for unemployment assistance between 2001 and 2007.

The jobless total included 39,000 managers and supervisors, 22,000 educators and 15,000 engineers, scientists and computer professionals.