April 2025 | Released May 21, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In April, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 5, rose in 20, and remained unchanged in 26.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.8 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April.

• In April, payroll jobs rose in 40 states and fell in 11. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Mississippi. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Pennsylvania Employment Snapshot

• In April, Pennsylvania added 8,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.9 percent. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 18,500 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Pennsylvania added 95,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points from 3.6 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Pennsylvania ranks 5th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In April, Pennsylvania’s private sector added 8,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 87,200 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 18,300 net private payroll jobs.

• In April, employment in Pennsylvania rose by 1,984, and over the past 12 months it fell by 72,106.

• Pennsylvania’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.6 percent in April and ranks 34th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.8 percentage points.

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Pennsylvania Payroll Employment

• Pennsylvania added 8,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 18,500 jobs. Pennsylvania nonfarm payroll employment has increased in each of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Pennsylvania ranks 5th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Pennsylvania added 8,700 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Pennsylvania added 18,300 jobs. Pennsylvania private sector payroll employment has increased in each of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 167,000 jobs in April, or 0.1 percent. Pennsylvania ranks 7th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during April were Education and Health Services (5,000) and Leisure and Hospitality (2,700).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Mining and Logging (-400) and Construction (-1,800).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (50,900) and Leisure and Hospitality (15,900).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (-2,100) and Information (-2,300).

Pennsylvania Labor Force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Pennsylvania remained unchanged at 61.6 percent in April.

• Pennsylvania ranks 34th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Pennsylvania was 63.4 percent occurring in March 2016, and the 10-year low was 60.8 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.6 percent in April.