Pennsylvania's Employment Situation for February 2012

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in February, unchanged from the January rate. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 8.3 percent, and has been below the U.S. rate for 46 consecutive months, and at or below the U.S. rate for 64 consecutive months.

The state's unemployment rate was down 0.4 percentage points from February 2011.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was up 6,000 in February to 6,389,000. Resident employment was up 10,000 to 5,906,000, and the number of unemployed residents fell 3,000 to 483,000. Pennsylvania's labor force was 15,000 below its February 2011 level.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 16,700 in February to 5,717,600. The February gain was the largest increase since May 2010. Most of the increase was in service-providing industries, which increased by 17,300 jobs from January. Education & health services had the largest increase of any supersector in February, up 8,500. Professional & business services also posted a large increase, up 7,000. The largest decline in February was in other services, which fell for the second consecutive month following seven straight months of increases of at least 500.

Pennsylvania's job count was up 40,000 (0.7 percent) over the year, while national total nonfarm jobs were up just over 2 million jobs (1.5 percent) over the past 12 months.

Media contact: Christopher S. Manlove, 717-787-7530

Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics is available on the Department of Labor & Industry's website at www.dli.state.pa.us.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry