Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for August 2025.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 4.0 percent in August. The U.S. unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a point over the month to 4.3 percent, marking the 28th consecutive month Pennsylvania’s rate was at or below the national average.
The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percentage point above the August 2024 level of 3.6 percent, while the US rate was up one-tenth of a point from last August.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was down 7,000 over the month to 6,530,000 in August. Employment, down 7,000 from July, drove the decline while unemployment was unchanged over the month.
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 12,200 over the month to 6,249,100 in August, the 16th consecutive month at a record high. Jobs increased from July in seven of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest volume movement was in education & health services, up 3,700 over the month to a record high. Over the year, jobs were up 101,200 with gains in nine of the 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+52,200) had the largest volume increase from August 2024.
Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. August 2025 data are preliminary and subject to revision.
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| Current Labor Force Statistics |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | | Change from | Change from |
| | August | July | August | July 2025 | August 2024 |
| | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| PA | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 6,530 | 6,537 | 6,560 | -7 | -0.1% | -30 | -0.5% |
| Employment | 6,267 | 6,274 | 6,322 | -7 | -0.1% | -55 | -0.9% |
| Unemployment | 263 | 263 | 238 | 0 | 0.0% | 25 | 10.5% |
| Rate | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 | ---- | 0.4 | ---- |
| | | | | | | | |
| U.S. | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 170,778 | 170,342 | 168,496 | 436 | 0.3% | 2,282 | 1.4% |
| Employment | 163,394 | 163,106 | 161,425 | 288 | 0.2% | 1,969 | 1.2% |
| Unemployment | 7,384 | 7,236 | 7,071 | 148 | 2.0% | 313 | 4.4% |
| Rate | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 0.1 | ---- | 0.1 | ---- |
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| |
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | | Change from | Change from |
| | August | July | August | July 2025 | August 2024 |
| | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| | | | | | | | |
| Total Nonfarm Jobs | 6,249.1 | 6,236.9 | 6,147.9 | 12.2 | 0.2% | 101.2 | 1.6% |
| | | | | | | | |
| Goods Producing Industries | 845.1 | 844.5 | 843.4 | 0.6 | 0.1% | 1.7 | 0.2% |
| Mining & Logging | 21.4 | 21.6 | 21.5 | -0.2 | -0.9% | -0.1 | -0.5% |
| Construction | 259.7 | 260.5 | 259.3 | -0.8 | -0.3% | 0.4 | 0.2% |
| Manufacturing | 564.0 | 562.4 | 562.6 | 1.6 | 0.3% | 1.4 | 0.2% |
| | | | | | | | |
| Service Providing Industries | 5,404.0 | 5,392.4 | 5,304.5 | 11.6 | 0.2% | 99.5 | 1.9% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 1,145.4 | 1,142.5 | 1,140.6 | 2.9 | 0.3% | 4.8 | 0.4% |
| Information | 89.3 | 89.6 | 90.1 | -0.3 | -0.3% | -0.8 | -0.9% |
| Financial Activities | 345.2 | 345.8 | 339.0 | -0.6 | -0.2% | 6.2 | 1.8% |
| Professional & Business Services | 844.5 | 843.6 | 834.2 | 0.9 | 0.1% | 10.3 | 1.2% |
| Education & Health Services | 1,417.9 | 1,414.2 | 1,365.7 | 3.7 | 0.3% | 52.2 | 3.8% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 584.9 | 582.9 | 567.3 | 2.0 | 0.3% | 17.6 | 3.1% |
| Other Services | 270.7 | 270.4 | 263.3 | 0.3 | 0.1% | 7.4 | 2.8% |
| Government | 706.1 | 703.4 | 704.3 | 2.7 | 0.4% | 1.8 | 0.3% |
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| 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 |
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| Note: September 2025 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on October 17th, 2025. | | |
