PA unemployment rate for April matches record low

Pennsylvania’s nonfarm jobs continue to increase, reaching a record high in April for the fourth straight month. 

The result is unemployment dropped .01 of a percentage point to 4.1% in April, equaling the lowest rate on record dating to January 1976. The national unemployment rate from March also decreased by .01 of a percentage point, dipping to 3.4%. 

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is down 0.2 percentage points from April 2022. The U.S. rate also dropped .02 percentage points over the year. 

April 2023 saw the state’s civilian labor force increase by 4,000. The month also saw resident employment rise by 13,000 and unemployment fall by 8,000. Nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania rose by 11,000 and established a record high of 6,117,1000. 

Seven of the 11 supersectors saw employment increase in March, the largest gain being in education and health services, which saw an increase of 8,400. Professional and business services also reached a record high. 

Nonfarm jobs saw gains of 156,300 over the year, with all 11 supersectors showing increases. Education and health services gained 55,200 jobs, the largest gain among supersectors.