December 2024 | Released January 28, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Pennsylvania Employment Snapshot

• In December, Pennsylvania added 13,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.6 percent. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 8,600 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Pennsylvania added 114,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points from 3.4 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Pennsylvania is tied for 10th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Pennsylvania’s private sector added 13,100 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 105,500 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 7,600 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Pennsylvania fell by 22,958, and over the past 12 months it fell by 60,490.

• Pennsylvania’s labor force participation rate fell to 61.8 percent in December from 61.9 percent and ranks 34th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.5 percentage points.

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Pennsylvania Payroll Employment

• Pennsylvania added 13,700 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 8,600 jobs. Pennsylvania nonfarm payroll employment has increased in each of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Pennsylvania is tied for 10th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Pennsylvania added 13,100 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 7,600 jobs. Pennsylvania private sector payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Pennsylvania is tied for 13th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Education and Health Services (5,300) and Leisure and Hospitality (2,800).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Information (100) and Manufacturing (-400).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (51,600) and Leisure and Hospitality (30,600).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Information (-600) and Manufacturing (-3,100).

Pennsylvania Labor Force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Pennsylvania fell to 61.8 percent in December from 61.9 percent in the prior month.

• Pennsylvania ranks 34th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Pennsylvania was 63.3 percent occurring in November 2019, and the 10-year low was 60.8 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.