A hiring sign is displayed at a retail store in Wheeling, Illinois, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. On Thursday, the Department of Labor reports the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits last week. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

(WJET/WFXP)– More than 15,000 nonfarm jobs were added to the Commonwealth over the course of March 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s (L&I) preliminary employment status report.

L&I released its preliminary monthly employment situation report on Friday saying that March was the sixth consecutive month in which the unemployment rate stood at 3.4%, while the national unemployment rate decreased slightly to 3.8 %.

The PA rate also did not change much over the course of the last year, with the rate being 3.5% in March 2023, while the national rate increased over the year from 3.5%.

The Commonwealth’s workforce also grew by 20,000 people over the course of March, matching well with the total of 15,300 nonfarm jobs added, marking the eighth consecutive record for Pennsylvania’s job count.

Since March 2023, L&I reported that total non-farm jobs have increased by 78,200 and five of 11 super sectors experienced gains, the largest of which is education and health services with 55,700 added and achieved a record gain, while Financial activities also increased to record levels in March. .

The full statistical breakdown of L&I’s report can be seen below.