Pennsylvania’s jobless rate up, but payrolls hit record high

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate crept up in December, even as payrolls hit a record high.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said today that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month, up one-tenth of a percentage point from November. The national rate was 4.1 percent in December.

A survey of households found Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force shrank for the seventh straight month, this time by 5,000, falling further below its 2012 record high. Employment was down while unemployment was up.

A separate survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls grew by 14,600 in December, a record high and closer to 6 million.

Today’s figures are preliminary and could change.

The biggest gainers were the construction and leisure and hospitality sectors, while the biggest loser was the trade, transportation and utilities sector.