HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) on Friday released its preliminary employment situation report for August 2023.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 3.5 percent in August, remaining the lowest rate on record (back to January 1976). The U.S. unemployment rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point from July to 3.8 percent.
The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points below its August 2022 level of 4.3 percent, and the national rate was unchanged over the year.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 1,000 over the month. Resident employment rose by 6,000 from July and unemployment fell by 4,000.
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 15,800 over the month to a new record high of 6,164,500 in August. This was the eighth month in a row that jobs have set a new all-time high level.
Jobs increased from July in eight of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in education & health services (+7,400), which rose to a record high level. Construction and trade, transportation & utilities also rose to record high levels in August.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 153,800 with gains in all 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+50,000) had the largest volume over-the-year gain among supersectors.
Additional information is available on the L&I Web site at www.dli.pa.gov or by following on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally-adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. August data are preliminary and subject to revision.