PA Unemployment Dips to 3.8% in April, Adding 12,000 Jobs

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania's unemployment rate plunged to 3.8% in April 2026, down from 4.2% in March, as the commonwealth added 12,000 nonfarm jobs, according to preliminary data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I). The drop, first reported by 6abc.com, outpaced the national trend and was fueled by robust hiring in manufacturing and healthcare sectors, which posted the largest gains. Total nonfarm employment reached new heights, building on March's 12,500-job increase to 6,189,600 positions statewide.

Manufacturing jobs climbed amid demand from steel mills in Pittsburgh's Mon Valley and machinery producers in central Pennsylvania, while healthcare expanded with openings at hospitals like UPMC in Pittsburgh and Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. L&I data shows the civilian labor force grew modestly, with employment rising faster than unemployment, mirroring January and February trends where the rate fell to 4.3% and then 4.2%. Over the year, Pennsylvania's rate remains below the U.S. average of 4.3% in March, with total jobs up 23,400 from April 2025.

Regional bright spots include Philadelphia's metro area, where trade and transportation added jobs similar to the state's March gain of 5,100 in that supersector, and the Lehigh Valley's manufacturing hub. L&I Secretary Emily F. Myers highlighted the 'continued strength in key industries' in a statement, noting Pennsylvania's labor force hit 6,593,000 in March, up 6,000 monthly. Economists attribute the April acceleration to post-winter hiring and federal infrastructure funds boosting construction ties to manufacturing.