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Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained 4.2% in March and was once again below the national average. JUSTSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Pa. unemployment rate remains lower than national average
Listen to this articlePennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained 4.2% in March and was once again below the national average.
Total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania increased 12,500 over the month, as noted by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Friday in its preliminary employment situation report for March 2026.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 4.2 in March. The PA rate was one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. unemployment rate, which fell one-tenth of a point from February to 4.3 percent.
While Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate matched its March 2025 level, the U.S. rate rose one-tenth from last March.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force, which is the estimated number of residents working or looking for work, increased by 6,000 over the month to 6,593,000 in March. Employment was up 9,000 in Pennsylvania and unemployment declined by 3,000 from February.
Total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania increased in March to 6,189,600. Jobs increased in Pennsylvania in six of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest volume gain was in trade, transportation & utilities, up 5,100 over the month, while the largest decline was in other services, which were down by 2,400.
Over the year, jobs in Pennsylvania are up 23,400 with gains in six of the 11 supersectors. The largest volume gain from last March was in education & health services, an increase of 30,800 in Pennsylvania.
