State’s Jobless Rate, Labor Force & Payrolls Drop

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is hitting new post-pandemic lows, but the labor force and payrolls shrank in September as employers struggle to find enough employees. The state Department of Labor and Industry said Friday that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.2% from August’s rate. The national rate was 4.8% in September, and Pennsylvania lags most other states at 41st among 50. Pennsylvania has regained about 65% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in the pandemic. Unemployment rates were lower in 27 states. The surveys were conducted after the federal government ended supplemental payments of $300 a week, as well as expanded unemployment benefits to the self-employed.