Sep 25, 2018 1 min read

The unemployment rate for Pennsylvania dropped to 4.1 percent in August, the lowest level it has been since July 2000, the state Department of Labor & Industry has reported.

That rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from the July, the third consecutive month the Keystone State figure has declined by that amount. The state jobless figure has dropped seventh-tenths of a point over the year.

Statewide employment increased and unemployment decreased for a third straight month as well. The civilian labor force – the estimated number of Pennsylvanians working or seeking work – was up by 9,000 in August, as employment rose by 14,000 and the jobless figure dropped by 5,000.

There were an estimated 6,018,500 nonfarm jobs in the state last month, the second highest number on record. That figure was down 4,900 from July. Jobs increased in three of 11 supersectors, with Education and Health Services hitting a record high.

The data are seasonally adjusted.