Lehigh Valley unemployment stuck at 8.6 percent in November

About 600 nonfarm jobs were added to local payrolls.

Lehigh Valley area unemployment stood flat in November despite an uptick in jobs.

The region’s jobless rate stayed at 8.6 percent in November, according to the state’s Department of Labor & Industry. That was the same as October.

Despite the unchanged rate, the region reported a seasonally adjusted increase of 600 nonfarm jobs, bringing the total to 333,100.

The small increase in jobs was not enough to dent unemployment, which has gradually fallen in recent months but is still well above pre-recession levels.

“It would be nice if it were leaps and bounds,” Steven Zellers, an analyst with the state's labor department, said about the pace of economic growth. “But at least we’re improving.”

At this time last year, local unemployment was 9.5 percent compared with 4.4 percent in November 2007. Recent reports show consumer confidence improving but that trend has yet to translate into robust hiring.

Many sectors in the state's report released today are barely budging while others are adjusting work force according to seasonal demand.

One industry steadily adding jobs is professional and business services, which is up 3,400 jobs from November 2010. That sector includes temporary staffing agencies.

Analysts say employers continue to rely on such firms because they remain skittish about adding permanent hires. But in some cases, temporary add-ons can land opportunities later.

“Employers are using staffing firms for a look-see as to what kind of worker they’ll get,” said Nancy Dischinat, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board Inc.

Zellers said some of the November increase reflects the Amazon distribution center in Upper Macungie Township. He said the online retailer, which hires through a temporary staffing firm, began adding holiday-season workers earlier this year.

While employers are selective in adding workers, layoffs appear to have abated. National data show declines in first-time applications for jobless benefits.

“We’re not seeing a lot of plant closures or large-scale dislocations,” Dischinat said. “But we still have a lot of highly educated and skilled workers that need work.”

The region’s unemployment is level with the national rate but worse than the Pennsylvania average of 7.9 percent. New Jersey reports 9.1 percent unemployment. The state combines Northampton, Lehigh, Warren and Carbon counties when compiling local data.