According to the Department of Labor and Industry, the unemployment rate for March is just below the national rate, of 5.5 percent.

Back in the state, the March rate was down 0.8 percentage points from a year before. In that same time, the national rate dropped 1.1 points.

Pennsylvania's civilian labor force increased by 2,000 to 6,375,000 in March. Resident employment was down 5,000 while unemployment was up 7,000.

Total non-farm jobs declined by 12,700 in March to 5,819,300. The private and public sectors both declined from February, down 11,900 and 800, respectively. The largest decrease was in education and health services, which fell 6,300 below its February record high, while construction showed the biggest gain, up 2,700.

Over the year, total non-farm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 54,700 (+0.9%). The growth was concentrated within private industries, with the largest gains in trade, transportation & utilities, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. Only two of the 11 supersectors declined from a year ago – information and government.

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