PA Unemployment Rate Remains Stagnant

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate and payrolls remained virtually the same in April, according to state figures released Friday. The figures come out as employers report that they are struggling to find workers to hire. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4% according to the state Department of Labor and Industry… placing it a whole point above the national rate of 6.1% in April. In a survey of households, the labor force remained virtually the same in April, at just below 6.34 million, as the number of employed fell by 2,000 and the number of unemployed rose by 4,000. The state hit a record-high labor force of almost 6.6 million just before the Wolf administration coronavirus business shutdowns. In a separate survey of employers, payrolls in Pennsylvania slid in April by 4,400, to below 5.67 million. The trade, transportation and utilities sector and professional and business services sectors lost the most jobs.