Labor Market Report for October 9th, 2020

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) | Labor Market Report | November 5, 2020

Every week, we will be publishing labor market industry (LMI) data and important trends to consider in the development of an equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. We are always looking for opportunities to learn, grow, and collaborate. Email wpsi@universitycity.org to learn more.

Of all the industries disrupted by the pandemic, it’s safe to say that the hospitality industry has been hit the hardest. In the spring, mandated closures caused an immediate halt on demand for hotel rooms and restaurants, while remote working and schooling evaporated traffic at coffee shops and lunch spots. The list of permanent closures in Philadelphia continues to grow, leaving industry workers seeking employment with few options.  

Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope. Last week, indoor dining capacity limits increased to 50% within the city of Philadelphia. Many establishments have expanded their outdoor dining, ether on wide sidewalks or in parking spaces adjacent to storefronts. In addition to bringing life to quieted streets,  WHYY reported this week that these efforts have boosted restaurants’ recovery.  

All of this has led to the first positive jobs news in the industry since the beginning of the year. Last week, in preparation for expanded indoor dining, hospitality job postings in Philadelphia increased more than 30%. Nearly all this growth came from restaurants and other eating establishments. Moreover, those gains are not concentrated with any one company. Aramark and Sodexo, two leading foodservice companies, combined to post just 16.4% of the opportunities in the industry, with the 97% of establishments seeking to fill 1-5 positions. This diversity points to a general sense of optimism in the industry, which draws a contrast to the retail sector, where nearly all growth is credited to Amazon’s continued domination in online sales.  

With cold weather setting in and cases rising in parts of the country, this optimism may not last. That said, efforts by communities, business associations, government and industry workers, and companies have helped to keep some of the worst predictions from early in the year from materializing.  

For an up-to-date list of restaurants and their status for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining in University City, follow the UCD Dining Days webpage.  

 

Weekly Postings, Sept 27th – 3rd   

Percentage Change from Feb 15th 

Week over Week 

Industry 

Phila Metro 

Phila City 

Phila Metro 

Phila City 

Phila Metro 

Phila City 

Health Care & Social Assistance 

2616 

794 

-34% 

-81% 

27% 

4% 

Professional, Scientific & Tech Services 

1109 

382 

-32% 

-43% 

13% 

0% 

Retail Trade 

4109 

275 

160% 

6% 

-29% 

-32% 

Finance & Insurance  

1140 

344 

-21% 

-34% 

3% 

-1% 

Accommodation & Food Service 

1303 

291 

18% 

-49% 

59% 

52% 

Manufacturing 

1007 

174 

-25% 

-26% 

-2% 

-3% 

Administrative & Support & Waste Mgmt  

836 

181 

-8% 

-20% 

37% 

29% 

Educational Services 

623 

194 

-45% 

-61% 

-6% 

-37% 

Transportation & Warehousing 

725 

172 

-3% 

-2% 

-3% 

32% 

Information 

269 

99 

-52% 

-70% 

-27% 

-24% 

Other Services  

277 

46 

-41% 

-39% 

-27% 

-31% 

Public Administration 

213 

61 

-22% 

-51% 

0% 

-22% 

Real Estate & Rental Leasing 

238 

72 

-29% 

-42% 

-12% 

-16% 

Construction 

236 

47 

5% 

-43% 

-14% 

-36% 

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation  

167 

112 

14% 

84% 

65% 

220% 

Wholesale Trade 

103 

34% 

-50% 

21% 

-58% 

Utilities 

25 

-49% 

-75% 

-49% 

-33% 

Mining, Quarrying and Oil & Gas  

25 

-36% 

-73% 

19% 

-57% 

Mgmt of Companies & Enterprises 

24 

14 

-45% 

27% 

-8% 

40% 

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 

11 

-45% 

-80% 

-21% 

0% 

Unspecified  

3931 

1175 

-19% 

-33% 

6% 

1% 

Total 

18987 

4444 

-9% 

-37% 

-7% 

-6% 

About the data: Data is sourced from Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, unless otherwise noted, covering job postings in the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Metro Statistical Area (MSA), which is comprised of roughly a circle surrounding Trenton, Philadelphia, King of Prussia, Camden, and Wilmington. This data is then compared to a benchmark week of February 9th – 15th, which was the last week before the economic impact of COVID-19 began to be reflected in job posting data.

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