Pennsylvania’s statewide unemployment rate went up two-tenths of a percentage point in the month of October.
The Department of Labor and Industry says that the new unemployment rate across the state is 4.2 percent. That’s higher than the national rate of 3.6 percent. Pennsylvania’s rate remained unchanged from last year at this time.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force increased by 23,000 over the month of October to 6,516,000. That marks the fourth straight month that the labor force increased. Employment was up by 13,000 and unemployment also rose by 11,000. The estimated number of non-farm jobs went up by 8400, with the biggest gains seen in the professional and business services trade jobs. Trades, transportation and utilities and education and health services all went up to record high levels in October.
