PA Unemployment Rate Drops To 3.8 Percent, Lowest Since 1976

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate remains at its lowest point since the state began tracking 43 years ago.

The state's unemployment rate of 3.8 percent is just a tick above the national unemployment rate of 3.6 percent.

It's the second straight month that unemployment was at 3.8 percent. Since May 2018, it's dropped by about half a percentage point, state records show.

In addition, the total amount of non-farming jobs in the state rose to a record high of 6,051,400. Records indicate that May is the sixth straight month that this number has grown.

The gains noted in Pennsylvania over the past year were general for nearly all types of workers, with gains in nine of the state's 11 biggest employment sectors. The largest employment gains over the past year came from education, business services, and health services, according to the state's Department of Labor.

The unemployment rate has steadily dropped in the state over the past decade. Dating back to 2012, it sat at around 8 percent. It was down to 4.5 percent by 2016 and has slowly but steadily dropped another 0.6 percent over the past three years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.