State news. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate saw a slight increase in June.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the rate rose one-tenth of a point to 4 percent.
Despite this uptick, the state continues to outperform the national average, which stands at 4.1 percent.
June marked the 26th consecutive month Pennsylvania’s rate has been at or below the national figure.
Comparing to the previous year, Pennsylvania’s June unemployment rate of 4 percent is four-tenths of a percentage point higher than the 3.6 percent recorded in June 2024, while the national rate remained unchanged over the same period.
The state’s civilian labor force, which encompasses all residents either working or actively seeking employment, experienced a slight contraction in June. It decreased by 5,000 to reach 6,540,000.
State officials said the decline was primarily driven by a drop in employment, down 7,000 from May, while the number of unemployed individuals rose by 2,000 over the month.
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm industries added 4,200 jobs in June, bringing the total to a record high of 6,225,600.
The latest numbers marks the 14th consecutive month of record-breaking job figures. Seven of the 11 industry supersectors saw job increases from May, according to state data.
Leading the charge in job creation was the education and health services supersector, which added a significant 6,100 jobs in June to reach a new record high. The leisure and hospitality sector also achieved a new record high in employment.
Over the past year, Pennsylvania has seen an increase of 90,000 jobs, with nine of the 11 supersectors experiencing gains. Education and health services contributed the largest volume increase since June 2024, adding 45,800 positions.
As of May, the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bucks County’s unemployment rate was at 3.3 percent.
Per state data, Giant Food Store, the Central Bucks School District, Bucks County government, Walmart, Doylestown Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center, Grand View Health, the Pennsbury School District, ELC Beauty, and Wawa are the largest employers in Bucks County.
Per state data, the largest employers in Montgomery County include Merck, Abington Memorial Hospital, state government, SEI Investments, Einstein Medical Center, Giant Food Stores, Lockheed Martin, Montgomery County government, North Penn School District, Hatfield Quality Meats, and Wawa.
