The April Jobs Report for Pennsylvania was released on May 20 by the Department of Labor and Industry.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate rose four-tenths of a percentage point from March’s 4.9 percent to 5.3 percent for April. The national average remained at 5 percent, meaning that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rose above the national rate during the month of April.

Civilian labor rose by 24,000 during the month of April, reaching 6,526,000. Resident labor declined by 3,000, contributing to the increase of unemployment by 27,000.

Total nonfarm jobs went from 5,891,700 to 5,877,700, a decrease of 16,900. Eight of the eleven supersectors declined. The largest decrease was observed in leisure and hospitality, with a drop of 5,700, and the largest increase was observed in education and health services, with a gain of 5,600.

Last April, the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, pointing to no net change and just a 0.1 percent increase in volume from last year, although the rate fluctuated in both directions over the course of the twelve months.