HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in December, down from 7.9 percent in November. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 8.5 percent, and has been below the U.S. rate for 62 consecutive months.
The state’s unemployment rate was down 0.9 percentage points from December 2010.
Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was down 2,000 in December to 6,351,000. Resident employment was up 11,000 to 5,865,000, and the number of unemployed residents fell 14,000 to 485,000. Pennsylvania’s labor force was 25,000 above its December 2010 level.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 6,500 in December to 5,699,100. Goods-producing industries accounted for the majority of the increase, up 6,200 from November, while service providers were up 300. Nine of Pennsylvania’s 11 supersectors added jobs in December, with the largest volume increase a gain of 3,000 jobs in construction. Mining & logging increased for the sixth consecutive month, up 600 to a record high of 34,400 jobs (data series began in 1990).
Pennsylvania’s job count was up 59,200 (1.0 percent) over the year while national total nonfarm jobs were up 1,640,000 (1.3 percent).