Pennsylvania’s Jobless Rate Declines in December

For the third straight month, Pennsylvania is seeing improvement in its unemployment rate. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reports that December’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 7.6%, down three tenths from November and nearly a full point compared to the previous year.  The state’s rate also remained below the national average for the 62nd month in a row.

 The civilian labor force was down by 2 thousand in December but resident employment rose by 11 thousand. The state’s labor force was 25 thousand above December 2010.

Goods producing industries accounted for the majority of the increase. Construction was also up for the month as nine of the state’s 11 supersectors added jobs.