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Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Rate at 4.3 Percent in January

03/10/2023

CONTACT: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for January 2023.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 4.3% in January. The U.S. unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from December to 3.4%. The commonwealth's unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points below its January 2022 level and the national rate was down 0.6 percentage points over the year.

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 2022 has been completed and is reflected in the analysis of January's preliminary data.

"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," L&I Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said.

Pennsylvania's civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 11,000 over the month. The employment count rose by 11,000 and resident unemployment was unchanged from December.

Pennsylvania's total nonfarm jobs were up 14,800 over the month to 6,085,800 in January. Jobs increased from December in six of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest gain was in education & health services (+8,000), while trade, transportation & utilities jobs rose to a record high level. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 190,200 with gains in all 11 supersectors.

As of January 2023, total nonfarm jobs were only 2,100 below the February 2020 record high. Four supersectors - trade, transportation & utilities; information; financial activities; and professional & business services – were above their pre-pandemic job levels in January 2023.

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

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

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

Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
    Change fromChange from
 JanuaryDecemberJanuaryDecember 2022January 2022
 202320222022volumepercentvolumepercent
PA       
Civilian Labor Force6,4926,4816,440110.2%520.8%
Employment6,2116,2006,151110.2%601.0%
Unemployment28128128900.0%-8-2.8%
Rate4.34.34.50.0-----0.2----
     
U.S.    
Civilian Labor Force165,832164,966163,6338660.5%2,1991.3%
Employment160,138159,244157,1228940.6%3,0161.9%
Unemployment5,6945,7226,511-28-0.5%-817-12.5%
Rate3.43.54.0-0.1-----0.6----
Note: February 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 24th, 2023.



Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
Change fromChange from
JanuaryDecemberJanuaryDecember 2022January 2022
 202320222022volumepercentvolumepercent
Total Nonfarm Jobs6,085.86,071.05,895.614.80.2%190.23.2%
 
Goods Producing Industries854.5852.1835.02.40.3%19.52.3%
  Mining & Logging23.123.122.00.00.0%1.15.0%
  Construction264.9262.4258.32.51.0%6.62.6%
  Manufacturing566.5566.6554.7-0.10.0%11.82.1%
Service Providing Industries5,231.35,218.95,060.612.40.2%170.73.4%
  Trade, Transportation & Utilities1,159.71,155.71,129.04.00.3%30.72.7%
  Information97.795.391.12.42.5%6.67.2%
  Financial Activities338.6337.9331.00.70.2%7.62.3%
  Professional & Business Services854.7857.0828.9-2.3-0.3%25.83.1%
  Education & Health Services1,296.31,288.31,237.78.00.6%58.64.7%
  Leisure & Hospitality547.9548.3521.0-0.4-0.1%26.95.2%
  Other Services255.2255.1245.30.10.0%9.94.0%
  Government681.2681.3676.6-0.10.0%4.60.7%
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 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 24th, 2023.



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