Contact: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for December 2023.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 3.5% in December. The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged from November at 3.7%. The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percentage point below its December 2022 level of 4.3%, while the national rate was up two-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 12,000 over the month due mostly to a gain in resident employment (+12,000).
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 6,200 over the month to a record high of 6,182,700. This was the 11th record high in 2023. Jobs increased from November in five of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in education & health services (+4,800), which rose to a record high. Two other supersectors – construction and financial activities – also rose to record high levels in December.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 111,700 with gains in nine of the 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+58,400) 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. December data are preliminary and subject to revision.
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| Current Labor Force Statistics |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | | Change from | Change from |
| | December | November | December | November 2023 | December 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| PA | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 6,528 | 6,516 | 6,481 | 12 | 0.2% | 47 | 0.7% |
| Employment | 6,303 | 6,291 | 6,200 | 12 | 0.2% | 103 | 1.7% |
| Unemployment | 226 | 225 | 281 | 1 | 0.4% | -55 | -19.6% |
| Rate | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 0.1 | ---- | -0.8 | ---- |
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| U.S. | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 167,451 | 168,127 | 164,998 | -676 | -0.4% | 2,453 | 1.5% |
| Employment | 161,183 | 161,866 | 159,300 | -683 | -0.4% | 1,883 | 1.2% |
| Unemployment | 6,268 | 6,262 | 5,698 | 6 | 0.1% | 570 | 10.0% |
| Rate | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 0.0 | ---- | 0.2 | ---- |
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| Note: January 2024 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 8th, 2024. |
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| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment | | Seasonally Adjusted | (in thousands)
| | | | | Change from | Change from | | December | November | December | November 2023 | December 2022 | | | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent | | | | | | | | | | Total Nonfarm Jobs | 6,182.7 | 6,176.5 | 6,071.0 | 6.2 | 0.1% | 111.7 | 1.8% | | | | | | | | | | | Goods Producing Industries | 854.9 | 852.1 | 852.1 | 2.8 | 0.3% | 2.8 | 0.3% | | Mining & Logging | 23.0 | 23.2 | 23.1 | -0.2 | -0.9% | -0.1 | -0.4% | | Construction | 267.4 | 263.7 | 262.4 | 3.7 | 1.4% | 5.0 | 1.9% | | Manufacturing | 564.5 | 565.2 | 566.6 | -0.7 | -0.1% | -2.1 | -0.4% | | | | | | | | | | Service Providing Industries | 5,327.8 | 5,324.4 | 5,218.9 | 3.4 | 0.1% | 108.9 | 2.1% | | Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 1,158.4 | 1,159.0 | 1,155.7 | -0.6 | -0.1% | 2.7 | 0.2% | | Information | 96.8 | 96.8 | 95.3 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 1.5 | 1.6% | | Financial Activities | 343.5 | 342.4 | 337.9 | 1.1 | 0.3% | 5.6 | 1.7% | | Professional & Business Services | 865.0 | 866.8 | 857.0 | -1.8 | -0.2% | 8.0 | 0.9% | | Education & Health Services | 1,346.7 | 1,341.9 | 1,288.3 | 4.8 | 0.4% | 58.4 | 4.5% | | Leisure & Hospitality | 569.7 | 568.4 | 548.3 | 1.3 | 0.2% | 21.4 | 3.9% | | Other Services | 259.6 | 261.9 | 255.1 | -2.3 | -0.9% | 4.5 | 1.8% | | Government | 688.1 | 687.2 | 681.3 | 0.9 | 0.1% | 6.8 | 1.0% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 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: January 2024 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on March 8th, 2024. | | | | | | | | |
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