HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.7% in August, which is the lowest level statewide in over two years.
The Pennsylvania rate is four-tenths of a percentage point under the U.S. employment rate at 4.1%, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force, the estimated number of residents working or looking for work, reached a new high of 6,659,000 in August. In addition, employment reportedly reached a record level while unemployment dropped by 11,000 over the span of a month.
Jobs increased over the month in seven of the 11 industry sectors, according to the press release. The largest increase was in trade, transportation and utilities, which increased by 1,700.
In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced on Thursday that the average call wait time for Pennsylvanians seeking assistance from the Unemployment Compensation Service Center has dropped to seven minutes.
This is reportedly two minutes faster than the administration’s previously met benchmark of under 10 minutes, which was achieved in 2025.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said that before Gov. Josh Shapiro took office in January 2023, unemployment compensation wait times often exceeded an hour and individuals would have to call multiple times to reach a representative.
According to the Department of Labor and Industry, it reportedly took an average of 11.4 attempts to reach someone in 2023. By 2025, that average dropped to 2.8 attempts and by 2026, it reportedly dropped to 1.5 attempts.