Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Rate At 3.4% in January as Total Nonfarm Jobs Sets New Record High for Sixth Straight Month

Annual revisions show Pennsylvania set a record-low unemployment rate of 3.2% in 2023.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for January 2024. Per standard practice each year, L&I also released revisions to jobs data for the previous five years.

January 2024 Preliminary Employment Situation Report

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 3.4% in January. The U.S. unemployment rate was also unchanged from December, remaining at 3.7%.

The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percentage point below its January 2023 level of 3.8%, while the national rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point over the year.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 6,000 over the month due to a gain in resident employment while unemployment was unchanged from December.

Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 14,800 over the month to a record high of 6,129,900. This was the sixth consecutive record high for Pennsylvania’s jobs count. Jobs increased from December in eight of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in education & health services (+7,900), which rose to a record high.

Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 70,100 with gains in five of the 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+59,600) had the largest volume over-the-year gain among supersectors.

Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. January 2024 data are preliminary and subject to revision.

Annual Revisions to Jobs Data

At the start of each year, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses additional or revised information to adjust prior years’ monthly sample-based estimates. Additionally, seasonal adjustment factors for historical labor force and nonfarm jobs data are updated. That process for Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force and nonfarm jobs data through 2023 has been completed and is reflected in the analysis of January’s preliminary data.

Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn.

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Current Labor Force Statistics

 

Seasonally Adjusted

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

       Change from

      Change from

 

 

January 2024

December 2023

January 2023

December
2023

January
2023

 

 

 

 

 

  volume

   percent

  volume

  percent

 

PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Civilian Labor Force

6,544

6,538

6,492

6

0.1%

52

0.8%

 

Employment

6,324

6,317

6,247

7

0.1%

77

1.2%

 

Unemployment

221

221

245

0

0.0%

-24

-9.8%

 

Rate

3.4

3.4

3.8

0.0

----

-0.4

----

 

U.S.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Civilian Labor Force

167,276

167,451

165,871

-175

-0.1%

1,405

0.8%

 

Employment

161,152

161,183

160,152

-31

0.0%

1,000

0.6%

 

Unemployment

6,124

6,268

5,719

-144

-2.3%

405

7.1%

 

Rate

3.7

3.7

3.4

0.0

----

0.3

----

 

Note: February 2024 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 22nd, 2024.

 

Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment

 

 

Seasonally Adjusted

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change from

Change from

 

 

 

     January 
2024

December 
2023

   January 
2023

December
2023

January
2023

 

 

 

 

        

 

 volume

percent

volume

percent

 

 

Total Nonfarm Jobs

6,129.9

6,115.1

6,059.8

14.8

0.2%

70.1

1.2%

 

 

Goods Producing Industries

844.3

844.8

853.1

-0.5

-0.1%

-8.8

-1.0%

 

 

  Mining & Logging

23.1

22.7

23.1

0.4

1.8%

0.0

0.0%

 

 

  Construction

255.0

256.7

262.2

-1.7

-0.7%

-7.2

-2.7%

 

 

  Manufacturing

566.2

565.4

567.8

0.8

0.1%

-1.6

-0.3%

 

 

Service Providing Industries

5,285.6

5,270.3

5,206.7

15.3

0.3%

78.9

1.5%

 

 

  Trade, Transportation & Utilities

1,134.0

1,135.8

1,144.1

-1.8

-0.2%

-10.1

-0.9%

 

 

  Information

93.1

92.0

94.4

1.1

1.2%

-1.3

-1.4%

 

 

  Financial Activities

342.3

341.8

339.0

0.5

0.1%

3.3

1.0%

 

 

  Professional & Business Services

839.6

837.9

844.5

1.7

0.2%

-4.9

-0.6%

 

 

  Education & Health Services

1,350.0

1,342.1

1,290.4

7.9

0.6%

59.6

4.6%

 

 

  Leisure & Hospitality

570.7

567.0

557.4

3.7

0.7%

13.3

2.4%

 

 

  Other Services

261.7

259.1

255.2

2.6

1.0%

6.5

2.5%

 

 

  Government

694.2

694.6

681.7

-0.4

-0.1%

12.5

1.8%

 

 

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.pa.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: February 2024 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 22nd, 2024.

DLI Media Contact Details

L&I Press Inquiries

Department of Labor and Industry Media

Trevor Monk

Communications Director
Department of Labor and Industry Media

Danielle Woods

Press Secretary
Department of Labor and Industry Media

Kate Loyd

Digital Director
Department of Labor and Industry Media