Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: March

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.0 percent in March, up one tenth of a percentage point from the February rate.

Pennsylvania's rate remained below the national rate of 9.7 percent and has been at or below the national rate for 84 of the past 87 months. The state rate was up 1.5 percentage points from March 2009, while the U.S. rate was up 1.1 percentage points from a year ago.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force –– the number of people working or looking for work –– rose by 6,000 residents in March to 6,458,000, the highest level in 14 months. Resident employment rose 2,000, while unemployment was up 5,000. Pennsylvania's labor force was up 19,000 since March 2009.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs rose by 22,600 in March – the third increase in the past six months and largest single-month gain since April 2005. March's biggest supersector gains were seen in education and health services, up 6,700; leisure and hospitality, up 5,200; and construction, up 4,900.  Manufacturing added jobs in back-to-back months for the first time in nearly three years.  

Pennsylvania's job count was down 84,300, or 1.5 percent, since March 2009. This was the first time the over-the-year job decline was below 100,000 since December 2008.  The United States' job count was down 2.3 million jobs from last year, a 1.8 percent drop.

Media contact: Troy Thompson, 717-787-7530

Editor's Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania's employment statistics follows.

For a more detailed breakdown of seasonally adjusted jobs data at the sector level, please contact the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis at 1-877-4WF-DATA, or visit www.paworkstats.state.pa.us.

Note: April 2010 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released May 20, 2010.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry