This was the second monthly decrease in the rate after 10 consecutive months at 4.8 percent. The Commonwealth’s rate remained above the U.S. rate, which fell one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.8 percent.
Over the year, the Pennsylvania unemployment rate declined by four-tenths of a percentage point.
The estimated number of Pennsylvania residents working or looking for work, known as the civilian labor force, was down 14,000 in May to 6,364,000. The labor force decline was due to a drop in unemployment, while resident employment was up slightly over the month.
Employment and unemployment both declined since last May, by 8,000 and 21,000, respectively.
The estimated number of jobs in Pennsylvania, referred to as total nonfarm jobs, was up 2,300 from April to a record high of 6,014,400. Highlights from this month’s jobs report include:
-- Fourteenth consecutive month jobs established a record high level
-- Jobs were up in seven of the 11 industry supersectors
-- Professional & business services set a record high for the ninth time in the past 10 months
-- Construction experienced the largest supersector gain, up 1,900 in May
-- Education & health services had the largest decline, down 1,900 from April’s record high
Since May 2017, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 1.3 percent. During this timeframe, nine supersectors in the commonwealth added jobs with increases ranging from 31,700 in education & health services to 2,000 in other services.
