(File Photo) A hiring sign shows in Wheeling, Ill., Sunday, March 21, 2021. The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to 547,000, a new low since the pandemic struck and a further encouraging sign that layoffs are slowing on the strength of an improving job market. The Labor Department said Thursday, April 22, that applications declined 39,000 from a revised 586,000 a week earlier. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

  Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for March 2025.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 3.8 percent in March. The Commonwealth’s rate remained below the U.S. unemployment rate which rose one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 4.2 percent.

The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was two-tenths of a percentage point above the March 2024 level of 3.6 percent, while the national rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point over the year.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was up 3,000 over the month to 6,542,000 in March. Resident unemployment (up 4,000) drove the increase.

Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 20,900 over the month to 6,217,700 in March, the 11^th consecutive record high. Jobs increased from February in seven of the 11 industry supersectors. Education & health services and leisure & hospitality each added 6,500 jobs over the month. Both education & health services and other services rose to record high levels in March.

Over the year, jobs were up 86,700 with gains in seven of the 11 supersectors. Education & health services (+48,500) had the largest volume increase since March 2024.

Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. March 2025 data are preliminary and subject to revision.

Current Labor Force Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
				Change from		Change from
	March	February	March	February 2025		March 2024
	2025	2025	2024	volume	percent	volume	percent
PA
Civilian Labor Force	6,542	6,539	6,609	3	0.0%	-67	-1.0%
Employment	6,291	6,291	6,371	0	0.0%	-80	-1.3%
Unemployment	252	248	238	4	1.6%	14	5.9%
Rate	3.8	3.8	3.6	0.0	—-	0.2	—-
U.S.
Civilian Labor Force	170,591	170,359	167,922	232	0.1%	2,669	1.6%
Employment	163,508	163,307	161,425	201	0.1%	2,083	1.3%
Unemployment	7,083	7,052	6,497	31	0.4%	586	9.0%
Rate	4.2	4.1	3.9	0.1	—-	0.3	—-
Note: April 2025 labor force and nonfarm jobs statistics will be released on May 16th, 2025.

 

Pennsylvania Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
Seasonally Adjusted
(in thousands)
				Change from		Change from
	March	February	March	February 2025		March 2024
	2025	2025	2024	volume	percent	volume	percent
Total Nonfarm Jobs	6,217.7	6,196.8	6,131.0	20.9	0.3%	86.7	1.4%
Goods Producing Industries	845.0	845.5	847.5	-0.5	-0.1%	-2.5	-0.3%
Mining & Logging	21.9	21.9	22.1	0.0	0.0%	-0.2	-0.9%
Construction	261.6	261.5	260.6	0.1	0.0%	1.0	0.4%
Manufacturing	561.5	562.1	564.8	-0.6	-0.1%	-3.3	-0.6%
Service Providing Industries	5,372.7	5,351.3	5,283.5	21.4	0.4%	89.2	1.7%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities	1,143.4	1,143.9	1,138.9	-0.5	0.0%	4.5	0.4%
Information	89.5	89.1	92.4	0.4	0.4%	-2.9	-3.1%
Financial Activities	340.2	340.7	340.2	-0.5	-0.1%	0.0	0.0%
Professional & Business Services	843.4	837.0	836.8	6.4	0.8%	6.6	0.8%
Education & Health Services	1,399.1	1,392.6	1,350.6	6.5	0.5%	48.5	3.6%
Leisure & Hospitality	581.2	574.7	568.3	6.5	1.1%	12.9	2.3%
Other Services	269.8	267.6	259.5	2.2	0.8%	10.3	4.0%
Government	706.1	705.7	696.8	0.4	0.1%	9.3	1.3%
For a more detailed breakdown of seasonally adjusted jobs data at the sector level, please contact the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis at 1-877-4WF-DATA, or visit www.paworkstats.pa.gov