Contact: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for September 2023.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 3.4% in September, setting a new record low (records date back to January 1976). The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 3.8%. The Commonwealth's unemployment rate was 0.9 percentage points below its September 2022 level of 4.3%, while the national rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point over the year.
Pennsylvania's civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was down 2,000 over the month. Resident employment rose by 2,000 from August and unemployment fell by 4,000.
Pennsylvania's total nonfarm jobs were up 8,300 over the month to a new record high of 6,171,600 in September. This was the ninth consecutive month that jobs have set a new all-time high level. Jobs increased from August in eight of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest gain in education & health services (+6,100), which rose to a record high. Three other supersectors also reached all-time highs in September.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were up 148,700 with gains in all 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+54,900) 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. September data are preliminary and subject to revision.
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| Current Labor Force Statistics | |
Seasonally Adjusted
| |
(in thousands)
| |
| | | | | Change from | Change from | |
| | September | August | September | August 2023 | September 2022 | |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent | |
| PA | | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 6,497 | 6,499 | 6,476 | -2 | 0.0% | 21 | 0.3% | |
| Employment | 6,275 | 6,273 | 6,195 | 2 | 0.0% | 80 | 1.3% | |
| Unemployment | 222 | 226 | 281 | -4 | -1.8% | -59 | -21.0% | |
| Rate | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | -0.1 | ---- | -0.9 | ---- | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| U.S. | | | | | | | | |
| Civilian Labor Force | 167,929 | 167,839 | 164,619 | 90 | 0.1% | 3,310 | 2.0% | |
| Employment | 161,570 | 161,484 | 158,850 | 86 | 0.1% | 2,720 | 1.7% | |
| Unemployment | 6,360 | 6,355 | 5,770
| 5 | 0.1% | 590 | 10.2% | |
| Rate | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 0.0 | ---- | 0.3 | ---- | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |
Note:
October 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on
November 17th, 2023.
|
| | | | | | | |
|
| Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and
Salary Employment |
| Seasonally Adjusted |
| (in thousands) |
| | | | Change from | Change from |
| September | August | September | August 2023 | September 2022 |
| | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | volume | percent | volume | percent |
| | | | | | | |
| Total Nonfarm Jobs | 6,171.6 | 6,163.3 | 6,022.9 | 8.3 | 0.1% | 148.7 | 2.5% |
| | | | | | | | |
| Goods Producing Industries | 858.1 | 857.4 | 848.3 | 0.7 | 0.1% | 9.8 | 1.2% |
| Mining & Logging | 23.5 | 23.4 | 22.7 | 0.1 | 0.4% | 0.8 | 3.5% |
| Construction | 266.5 | 265.8 | 257.9 | 0.7 | 0.3% | 8.6 | 3.3% |
| Manufacturing | 568.1 | 568.2 | 567.7 | -0.1 | 0.0% | 0.4 | 0.1% |
| | | | | | | |
| Service Providing Industries | 5,313.5 | 5,305.9 | 5,174.6 | 7.6 | 0.1% | 138.9 | 2.7% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 1,163.8 | 1,161.6 | 1,148.5 | 2.2 | 0.2% | 15.3 | 1.3% |
| Information | 96.3 | 96.1 | 94.1 | 0.2 | 0.2% | 2.2 | 2.3% |
| Financial Activities | 340.2 | 339.7 | 336.0 | 0.5 | 0.1% | 4.2 | 1.3% |
| Professional & Business Services | 873.5 | 871.1 | 851.7 | 2.4 | 0.3% | 21.8 | 2.6% |
| Education & Health Services | 1,327.9 | 1,321.8 | 1,273.0 | 6.1 | 0.5% | 54.9 | 4.3% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 565.4 | 570.1 | 541.4 | -4.7 | -0.8% | 24.0 | 4.4% |
| Other Services | 259.6 | 257.2 | 252.3 | 2.4 | 0.9% | 7.3 | 2.9% |
| Government | 686.8 | 688.3 | 677.6 | -1.5 | -0.2% | 9.2 | 1.4% |
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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.workstats.dli.pa.gov |
|
| | | | | | | |
Note:
October 2023 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on
November 17th, 2023.
|