Obamanomics: Pennsylvania's labor force shows second-largest monthly decline on record

7/18/2014

Pennsylvania's labor force shows big drop in June

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is reporting its second-largest monthly decline on record in the size of the labor force.

The state Department of Labor and Industry reported Friday that June's labor force dropped by 28,000 to 6.4 million. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' online records go back to 1976.

June's unemployment rate remained at 5.6 percent, a nearly six-year low, as the ranks of employed Pennsylvanians declined by 22,000 and the number of unemployed shrank by 6,000.

The labor force is the number of people working or looking for jobs, and the figure has been declining steadily since December 2012.

A separate survey of employers shows total non-farm jobs crept up by 1,800, but that was after May's initial payrolls were revised downward by 7,000. Payrolls stand at 5.79 million.