PA Unmployment Numbers Held Steady in April

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate remained unchanged in April at 7.8 percent because fewer people are looking for work. And though the state's job losses continued in April, the rate of loss eased during the month. The state Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday that Pennsylvania's employers slashed an estimated 17,300 nonfarm jobs in April. But that's after cutting more than 30,000 in both February and March. Since the recession began in December 2007, Pennsylvania has lost more than 155,000 jobs, or one in every 37. At 5,654,800, the state job total fell to its lowest level since August 2004. Before April, the state's unemployment rate had risen for 14 straight months. The national unemployment rate is 8.9 percent.