Pennsylvania's December Jobless Rate Rises, Payrolls Shrink

90.5 WESA | By Associated Press

Published January 24, 2020 at 1:25 PM EST

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate rose in December for the fourth straight month, as payrolls shrank and the labor force hit another record high.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said Friday that Pennsylvania's unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.5 percent, after hitting a four-decade low of 3.8 percent last year. The national unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in December.

A survey of households found Pennsylvania's civilian labor force rose by 18,000 to a record high. However, a separate survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted non-farm payrolls dropped by almost 10,000. Friday’s figures are preliminary and could change.

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