Is the local economy starting to slow down?  A Pittsburgh Business Times study reported in its most recent issue that there was an 18% decline in job vacancies posted by the 50 largest Pittsburgh region employers, comparing this July to last July. Keep in mind it’s always better to explore a career or job change in a good market than a tight one.

According to the analysis, 26 employers had fewer openings and 21 had more. The decrease is in multiple industries, including banking, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. Healthcare postings are still up. Elsewhere in the article, a report by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development noted that data science and IT roles continue to be the region’s fastest growing occupations in addition to healthcare. Artificial intelligence, operations, civil engineering, and personal financial advising were also cited as in demand in this issue of the PBT.

Despite some news of a slow-down, data from the PA Department of Labor and Industry show that the Pennsylvania unemployment rate was just 3.8 percent in June 2019, down from 4.2 percent in June 2018.  The Allegheny Conference on Community Development’s “2017-18 Inflections Point” report shows projections of a shortage of up to 80,000 workers by 2025 due to Baby Boomer retirements.

For help in navigating education, career, or job choices, consider career coaching to help save time and energy and avoid mistakes.