PA Unemployment Up

The state's rate of job loss hit an 18-year high in 2008, and the unemployment rate in December was the highest since March, 1994. Over the last year, the state shed 76,000 jobs, which was about 1 percent of the state’s workforce. The unemployment rate jumped to 6.7%. That compares to 4.4% in December 2007. Despite the bad numbers, Pennsylvania looks good compared to the nation as a whole, which lost 2% of its jobs in 2008 and is facing a 7.2% jobless rate.