The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Dec. 2011 was 7.6 percent, down from 7.9 percent in November, according to the state’s Department of labor and Industry.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 8.5 and has been below the national rate for 62 consecutive months.
The rate was down .9 percentage points from Dec. 2010.
The state’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, the number of people working or looking for work, was down 2,000 in December, to 6,351,000. Resident employment was up 11,000 to 5,865,000 and the number of unemployed residents fell 14,000 to 485,000. The state’s labor force was 25,000 in December, above last year’s level.
The majority of the increase came from goods-producing industries which were up 6,200 from November. Nine of Pennsylvania’s 11 supersectors added jobs in December, with the largest increase coming from 3,000 construction jobs. Mining and logging increased for the sixth consecutive month, up 600, for a record high of 34,400 jobs.
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