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Pennsylvania's Unemployment Rate Hits New Post-Recession Low

Keith Srakocic
/
AP

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate hit a new post-recession low, as payrolls crept upward to a new record high.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said Friday that Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.2 percent in July, the lowest point since 2007.

The national rate is 3.9 percent.

A survey of households found Pennsylvania's civilian labor force grew by 7,000, as employment rose and unemployment shrank.

A separate survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted non-farm payrolls rose by about 2,100 in July, reaching a new record high above 6 million.

The biggest gains were in the leisure and hospitality and professional and business services sectors, while construction, manufacturing and the trade, transportation and utilities sector shrank.

Friday's figures are preliminary and could change.

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