State’s jobless rate holds steady
PHILADELPHIA – The state’s unemployment rate is holding steady at 4.6 percent.
The rate stayed the same from January to February, according to seasonally adjusted statistics released Friday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. That figure is seventh-tenths of a point below the rate of February 2015, and is at its lowest level since September 2007.
Pennsylvania’s rate remained below that of the United States, which stayed at 4.9 percent.
Total nonfarm jobs last month increased more than 21,000 in February to a record high of 5.867 million.
Labor officials said the largest gain was in education and health services, a gain of 12,000-plus due mostly to education services.
The biggest drop was in manufacturing, following three consecutive gains.