In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the total non-farm jobs increased by 14,800 in one month, reaching a record high of 6,129,900, marking the sixth consecutive monthly record high for the state's jobs count.
Between December and now, jobs grew in eight out of 11 industry sectors, with the largest increase in education and health services (+7,900), which reached a new high.
Compared to the previous year, the total non-farm jobs increased by 70,100, with gains in five of the 11 sectors. Education and health services (+59,600) saw the highest year-over-year growth among the sectors.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) released its initial employment report for January 2024 on Friday.
As is customary, L&I also made revisions to job data for the last five years.
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate remained at 3.4% in January, unchanged from the previous month.
The U.S. unemployment rate also stayed the same as December, at 3.7%.
In January, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was 0.4% lower than in January 2023, when it stood at 3.8%, while the national rate increased by 0.3% over the year.
The estimated number of residents working or seeking work in Pennsylvania, known as the civilian labor force, increased by 6,000 in January due to a rise in resident employment, while unemployment remained unchanged from December.
Note: The above figures have been adjusted to account for seasonal variations, ensuring the most accurate month-to-month comparison. The data for January 2024 are preliminary and subject to change.
Yearly adjustments to job data
Every year, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses new or updated information to revise estimates from previous months in the year.
Moreover, seasonal factors for historical non-farm job and labor force data are updated.
This process for Pennsylvania's civilian labor force and non-farm jobs data up to 2023 has been finalized and is reflected in the analysis of January's preliminary data.
