As has been the case for several years now, there was good news and bad news in the latest job report numbers for the state. The good news is that the state added 19,000 jobs in June. The bad news is that the unemployment rate remained steady at 7.5%, breaking a four-month streak of decreasing rates.
Pennsylvania’s employment situation largely mirrors that of the country’s. In the last federal report, the U.S. economy added 195,000 jobs and the rate stayed at 7.6%. This was the second straight month that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was lower than the federal rate.
It’s unclear what effect, if any, this report will have on the public’s perception of Governor Corbett. It’s quite possible that his recent difficulties with the legislature will overshadow this recent positive trend in employment.
The 19,000 net new jobs gain was the second-largest amount among the states in June. Only California, which saw an increase of 30,200, recorded a higher gain in employment.