Pennsylvania's jobless rate dropped last month, primarily because some people stopped looking for work, while service-sector employers hired more.
The state Department of Labor and Industry said Friday that Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was 7.3 in November, down from 7.5 in October.
November's rate is Pennsylvania's post-recession low after it hit 7.4 percent in 2009. However, Pennsylvania's labor force, or the number of people working or searching for work, is shrinking and is at its lowest level since February 2012.
The national unemployment rate was 7 percent in November.
In a separate survey of employers, the department estimated that payrolls rose by nearly 10,000 jobs in November, as construction and manufacturing employer fewer people and service-sector employers hired more.
Payrolls remain about 50,000 jobs below the 2008 record of 5.82 million.
