PA Unemployment Rate Remained Unchanged At 4.3% In January

March 14, 2023

Workers at the Philly Shipyard on March 10, 2022.
Credit: PA Internet News Service

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in January, according to state data released this month.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry released its preliminary employment situation report for January, revealing that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3 percent over the month. Meanwhile, the US unemployment rate fell by one-tenth of a percentage point from December to 3.4 percent.

Compared to January 2022, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower, while the national rate was down 0.6 percentage points over the year.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics annually adjusts prior years’ monthly sample-based estimates and updates seasonal adjustment factors for historical labor force and nonfarm jobs data. This process has been completed for Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force and nonfarm jobs data through 2022 and is reflected in the analysis of January’s preliminary data.

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said, “The January data shows stability in Pennsylvania’s economy. Throughout 2022 and into January of this year, the unemployment rate remained steady between 4.3 and 4.4 percent, and jobs are near record high levels.”

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force, which is the estimated number of residents working or looking for work, increased by 11,000 in January. The employment count rose by 11,000, and resident unemployment was unchanged from December.

In January, Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 14,800 to 6,085,800, with gains in six of the 11 industry supersectors. The education and health services industry supersector had the largest gain with 8,000 jobs, while trade, transportation & utilities jobs rose to a record high level. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs increased by 190,200, with gains in all 11 supersectors, according to state data.

As of January, total nonfarm jobs were only 2,100 below the February 2020 record high.

Four supersectors, including trade, transportation and utilities, information, financial activities, and professional and business services, were above their pre-pandemic job levels in January.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data showing that the unemployment rate in Bucks County for November – the most recent month for which data is available – was 2.9 percent. This marks a slight decrease compared to the previous month.