In November 2023, Pennsylvania witnessed a record-low unemployment rate of 3.4%, a one-percent drop from the previous year. Scott Meckley, the deputy director for the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis at the Department of Labor, reported job growth in 10 out of the 11 groups of industries monitored by them.

Significant growth has been observed in education and health services, professional and business services, and the leisure and hospitality sector. However, a slight decline in manufacturing was also recorded. Meckley stated that this market presents excellent opportunities for job-seekers as employers are incentivizing their job offerings considering reduced candidate availability.

A higher wage, added benefits, teleworking options, daycare, and transportation are some of the incentives being offered by employers at present, says Meckley.

Meckley believes that with a healthy economy maintaining an unemployment rate between 3 and 5 percent, it’s unlikely to expect a further drop in unemployment. Our hope is to at least maintain the current unemployment rate, he said.

The Department of Labor will release December’s employment figures in mid-January, followed by the final yearly report on the labor market. This final report is expected to be more accurate than the estimated monthly unemployment rates.

When we get to the end of the year and we talk about how Pennsylvania did, we always throw that caveat out there that in another two months, we’re really going to know how we did, stated Meckley. The comprehensive final report is anticipated to be out in March next year, allowing the department to conclusively compare 2023 to previous years.