Philadelphia, PA – This month, Pennsylvania dropped to 49th in the nation in job growth because of Tom Corbett’s harmful economic policies.

“Governor Corbett has overseen a Pennsylvanian economy in decline,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burn. “The last economic report just further illustrates how disastrous Tom Corbett’s economy has been for the middle-class. Tom Corbett is more focused on giving tax breaks to corporations than he is on investing in education, lowering property taxes, and stemming rising tuition costs.”

Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Rate Is Higher Than The National Average. “The Department of Labor and Industry said Friday the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.9 percent in March, down from 8.1 percent in February.The national unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in March. [Associated Press, 4/19/13]

Pennsylvania Labor Force Falls Biggest Amount In 30 Years. “The size of Pennsylvania’s labor force shrank in March by the biggest one-month amount in almost three decades, as unemployment and payrolls also fell. A survey of households showed the number of people working or looking for work fell in March by 33,000 to just above 6.5 million. That’s the largest one-month drop since 1983.” [Associated Press, 4/19/13]

When Tom Corbett Took Office, Pennsylvania Was 7th in Job Growth.
[Job Growth USA, 01/11]

Now, Pennsylvania Ranks 49th In Job Growth. “Where’d everybody go? Earlier today I spoke with Mark Price, a labor economist with the Keystone Research Center. He noted — with the caveat that numbers can fluctuate from month to month — that in March Pennsylvania ranked 49th in the nation in job growth, ahead of only Wyoming.” [Philadelphia Daily News, 4/23/13]

Pennsylvania Is The Only State In The Nation With An Over-The-Year Percentage Decrease In Employment.
“The only over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Pennsylvania (-0.1 percent).” [Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 04/19/13]