HARRISBURG, Pa. — Note: The video is from March 4.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped by two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.2% last month, according to a preliminary employment situation report released Friday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
The commonwealth's unemployment rate is still higher than the national rate, which went down one-tenth of a percentage point from February to 3.5%, L&I said.
The commonwealth’s unemployment rate was two-tenths of a point below its March 2022 level, and the national rate was down 0.1 percentage points over the year.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 5,000 over the month. Resident employment rose by 12,000 over the month and unemployment fell by 7,000.
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 12,500 over the month to a new record high of 6,108,900 in March, beating the previous record of 6,096,400 set the month prior.
Jobs increased from February in seven of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in leisure & hospitality (+4,500). Professional and business services rose to a record high level.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 159,000 with gains in all 11 supersectors. Education and health services (+52,000) had the largest volume over-the-year gain among supersectors with three other supersectors adding over 16,000 each.