The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area unemployment rate slid three tenths of a percentage point in April to 9.4 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis, a welcome decline amid other positive national economic news.
The unemployment rate remained the highest among the state's 14 metro areas last month.
Broken down, joblessness in April was reflected in Lackawanna County unemployment at 8.8 percent, Luzerne 9.5 percent and Wyoming 9.4.
Nationally, the equities market remained strong, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing over 15,000, buoyed by climbing housing values.