PA's Jobless Rate Dips Below 9%

Pennsylvania’s economy added nearly 16-thousand jobs last month.
The state’s unemployment numbers dropped by 10-thousand last month, lowering unemployment to 8.8 percent....down from 9.0% in September.
The percentage has been above nine since February.
Governor Ed Rendell says his administration can take partial credit for the dip, citing two reasons.

"Number one, the incentives that we have invested into the economy. Investments to promote economic growth clearly work, and they work here in Pennsylvania. And number two, the superb job that Secretary Vito’s department has done in training. Pennsylvania Careerlinks, etc."

Pennsylvania’s statistic is now nearly a full point below the national 9.6 percent unemployment rate.
The figure was at 5.8 percent when Rendell first took office. It dropped below 5 halfway through 2005, and stayed there until early 2008. It hit its high point for the last 8 years in July at 9.3%.