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WILKES-BARRE — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down to 4.1 percent in January and the number of employed residents rose to a record high.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry on Friday released its employment situation report for January 2019.
In the report, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from December to 4.1 percent. The national rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 4 percent for January, though it has since decreased. The Pennsylvania unemployment rate declined by one-half of a percentage point from January 2018.
Some highlights from the report:
• The estimated number of Pennsylvania residents working or looking for work, known as the civilian labor force, was up 10,000 over the month.
• The number of employed Pennsylvanians rose by 14,000 to a record high of 6,194,000.
• The number of unemployed residents was down 5,000 from December to its lowest level since it was matched in April 2007.
• Unemployment has not been lower since December 2000.
• The estimated number of jobs in Pennsylvania, referred to as total non-farm jobs, was down 500 from December’s record high to 6,030,200 in January.
• Total non-farm jobs increased from December in six of the 11 industry super-sectors.
• The largest movement was a decline in education & health services, down from a record high.
• Leisure and hospitality jobs rose to a record-high level.
Over the past 12 months, jobs increased 0.8 percent in the commonwealth with gains in seven of the 11 super-sectors. Education and health services had the largest volume 12-month gain.
Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov.