The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently updated their labor force and employment related data for the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area. This most recent labor force data includes an analysis of Nonfarm employment through February 2022.
Some key figures for the Lehigh Valley area relate to the overall fall in unemployment from 34,414 unemployed in February 2021 to 21,589 unemployed in February 2022, bringing down the unemployment rate from 7.9 percent to 4.8 percent over 12 months.
Total Nonfarm employment (in departments such as mining, transportation, education, hospitality, etc) also grew from about 359,800 to 379,300, representing an increase in the employment rate.