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Pennsylvania unemployment rate remains below the national average. JUSTSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Pa. unemployment rate drops to 4.1%; nonfarm jobs reach record high
Ed Gruver//July 20, 2026//
Pennsylvania unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% in June, and a record high was reached in nonfarm jobs.
The state’s rate remained below the national average once again.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released its preliminary employment situation report for June, revealing that the unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point over the month. The Pennsylvania rate remains one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.2%.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate declined by two-tenths of a point from its June 2025 level of 4.3%. The United States’ rate has increased one-tenth over the past 12 months.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force, which is the estimated number of residents working or looking for work, increased by 17,000 in June to a record high 6,643,000. Employment also rose to a record high while unemployment fell 6,000 over the month.
Total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania increased by 1,000 over the month to a record high of 6,209,600. Jobs increased in seven of the 11 industry supersectors. Leisure and hospitality had the largest volume gain while the largest decline was in professional and business services. Education and health services rose to a record high level.
Pennsylvania jobs are up 34,500 over the year, with gains in six of the 11 supersectors. The largest volume gain from last June was in education and health services, which increased by 28,400.
