State jobless rate rises to 5.6 percent
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in June, one-tenth of a point higher than in May and the fourth consecutive monthly increase.
The state Department of Labor & Industry released seasonally adjusted figures Friday, showing the commonwealth’s rate to be 0.5 of a point above the June 2015 figure. It was 0.7 of a point higher than the U.S. figure of 4.9 percent. The national rate, conversely, declined 0.4 percent over the year.
The commonwealth’s civilian labor force was down 4,000 from May’s record high level to 6,537,000. Resident employment declined by 7,000 while the unemployment count increased by 3,000.
Total nonfarm jobs rose 20,000 to 5,893,400 in June, as nine of the 11 supersectors added jobs over the month. The largest gain was in information (5,200), following the end of the strike at Verizon.
The only two supersectors to decline were mining and logging; and trade, transportation and utilities.
Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 62,700, a 1.1 percent gain. Seven of the 11 supersectors added jobs since June 2015, and of the four that declined, only one was down by more than 400. The largest increase from last year was in education and health services (25,900); the largest decline was in mining & logging (9,300).