Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in February to 5.2 percent, according to the Department of Labor and Industry. It follows a 0.1 percent increase in January.
Pennsylvania’s rate was three-tenths of a percentage point below the U.S. rate of 5.5 percent, which was down two-tenths from January. The commonwealth’s rate was down by 1.0 percentage points from February 2014 while the national rate declined by 1.2 points over the year.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force increased by 7,000 in February to 6,365,000. Residential employment was up 2,000 while unemployment was up 6,000.
Total nonfarm jobs were up 13,300 in February to a record high of 5,829,200. The gain was concentrated in the private sector, which added 15,700 jobs while government declined by 2,400. The largest increase was in education & health services, up 6,000, while construction showed the biggest decline, down 2,500.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 73,100 (+1.3 percent). The growth was almost entirely within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, education & health services and professional & business services.
Only two of the eleven supersectors declined from a year ago – information and government.
