Contact: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for November 2023.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was unchanged over the month, remaining at the record low of 3.4% in November (records date back to January 1976). The U.S. unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from October to 3.7%. The Commonwealth's unemployment rate was one full percentage point below its November 2022 level of 4.4%, while the national rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 17,000 over the month due to gains in both resident employment (+15,000) and unemployment (+2,000).
Pennsylvania's total nonfarm jobs were up 10,900 over the month to a record high of 6,178,700. This was the 34th increase in the past three years and the 10th month so far in 2023 to set a record high. Jobs increased from October in five of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in education & health services (+9,800), which rose to a record high.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 125,800 with gains in 10 of the 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+56,900) had the largest volume over-the-year gain among supersectors.
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. November data are preliminary and subject to revision.
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Current Labor Force Statistics
|
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | | Change from | Change from |
| | November | October | November | October 2023 | November 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| PA | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 6,516 | 6,499 | 6,480 | 17 | 0.3% | 36 | 0.6% |
| Employment | 6,291 | 6,276 | 6,198 | 15 | 0.2% | 93 | 1.5% |
| Unemployment | 225 | 223 | 282 | 2 | 0.9% | -57 | -20.2% |
| Rate | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 0.0 | ---- | -1.0 | ---- |
| | | | | | | | |
| U.S. | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 168,260 | 167,728 | 164,527 | 532 | 0.3% | 3,733 | 2.3% |
| Employment | 161,969 | 161,222 | 158,527 | 747 | 0.5% | 3,442 | 2.2% |
| Unemployment | 6,291 | 6,506 | 6,000 | -215 | -3.3% | 291 | 4.9% |
| Rate | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | -0.2 | ---- | 0.1 | ---- |
| | | | | | | |
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Note: December 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on January 19th, 2024.
|
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
(in thousands)
|
| | | | Change from | Change from |
| November | October | November | October 2023 | November 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| | | | | | | |
| Total Nonfarm Jobs | 6,178.7 | 6,167.8 | 6,052.9 | 10.9 | 0.2% | 125.8 | 2.1% |
| | | | | | | | |
| Goods Producing Industries | 850.5 | 851.2 | 849.0 | -0.7 | -0.1% | 1.5 | 0.2% |
| Mining & Logging | 23.3 | 23.4 | 23.1 | -0.1 | -0.4% | 0.2 | 0.9% |
| Construction | 262.8 | 264.6 | 259.1 | -1.8 | -0.7% | 3.7 | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 564.4 | 563.2 | 566.8 | 1.2 | 0.2% | -2.4 | -0.4% |
| | | | | | | |
| Service Providing Industries | 5,328.2 | 5,316.6 | 5,203.9 | 11.6 | 0.2% | 124.3 | 2.4% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 1,159.9 | 1,161.9 | 1,152.9 | -2.0 | -0.2% | 7.0 | 0.6% |
| Information | 96.8 | 96.8 | 93.7 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 3.1 | 3.3% |
| Financial Activities | 341.7 | 341.9 | 337.8 | -0.2 | -0.1% | 3.9 | 1.2% |
| Professional & Business Services | 869.0 | 867.6 | 849.7 | 1.4 | 0.2% | 19.3 | 2.3% |
| Education & Health Services | 1,342.3 | 1,332.5 | 1,285.4 | 9.8 | 0.7% | 56.9 | 4.4% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 569.4 | 567.8 | 547.6 | 1.6 | 0.3% | 21.8 | 4.0% |
| Other Services | 262.5 | 261.3 | 254.7 | 1.2 | 0.5% | 7.8 | 3.1% |
| Government | 686.6 | 686.8 | 682.1 | -0.2 | 0.0% | 4.5 | 0.7% |
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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: December 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on January 19th, 2024. |
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