The Pennsylvania unemployment rate went up slightly in the month of April.
According to the Department of Labor and Industry, statewide unemployment increased by a tenth of a percentage point to 3.9%. By comparison, the national unemployment rate is 4.2%. It also represents a three-tenths of a percentage point increase over the last 12 months.
The Pennsylvania civilian labor force, which is the number of people working or looking for work, went up by 6000 over April to 6,548,000. The total number of non-farm jobs increased by 8500 to 6,223,800, marking the 12th consecutive record high in recorded history. Jobs increased in six of the 11 industry super-sectors, with the largest movement seen in education and health services, which added 5000 jobs over the month. Over the year, 95,700 jobs were added in Pennsylvania.
