Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point from November to 4.7 percent, the first monthly increase since May 2017, according to the Department of Labor and Industry Friday.
The Commonwealth’s rate remained above that of the United States, which was unchanged in December at 4.1 percent. Over the year, the Pennsylvania unemployment rate declined by seven-tenths of a percentage point.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force was down 5,000 over the month to 6,392,000. The decline was due to a drop in employment. Resident unemployment increased for the first time in the past six months. Over the year, employment and unemployment were down by 10,000 and 53,000, respectively.
Pennsylvania’s nonfarm jobs count increased 14,600 to a record high of 5,994,700 in December. Jobs were up in seven of the 11 supersectors. The largest supersector movement over the month was a gain of 7,300 leisure & hospitality jobs, while the largest drop was in trade, transportation & utilities (-4,300). Both education & health services and leisure & hospitality reached new record high levels in December.
Total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 1.3 percent from December 2016, similar to the United States over-the-year gain of 1.4 percent. Eight supersectors in the commonwealth added jobs over the year.
The largest increase over the past 12 months was in education & health services, up 25,600. Two other supersectors also added more than 20,000 jobs from last December.
