Little Change In State Jobless Rate, Payroll In April

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate and payrolls remained virtually the same in April. State figures released Friday show Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4%. That was more than a whole point above the national rate of 6.1% in April. In a survey of households, the labor force remained virtually the same, at just below 6.34 million. The state hit a record high labor force of almost 6.6 million just before the pandemic. In a separate survey of employers, payrolls in Pennsylvania slid in April by 4,400, to below 5.67 million. Pennsylvania has regained about 60% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in the pandemic.