The state unemployment rate dropped to 8 percent in February from January's 8.3 percent rate, the state Department of Labor and Industry reported Thursday.

Pennsylvania also reported there were 30,000 more people working statewide in February than there were in January.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is now nearly a full percentage point below the rest of the nation, which logged 8.9 percent unemployment for the month.

Still, the news is actually not good for the long-term unemployed. This week the state announced that unemployment benefits would be reduced from 99 weeks to 93 weeks because, in January, the unemployment rate fell below 8.4 percent and that automatically triggered a reduction in the number of weeks that benefits would be paid.

The January unemployment rate was originally reported at 8.2 percent, but later revised to 8.3 percent. It was the average for November, December and January that triggered the reduction in federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits.

February's 8 percent unemployment rate is the lowest level the state has seen since May 2009 and marks the 22nd month that the state has experienced an unemployment rate of 8 percent or more. Unemployment in the recent economic downturn topped out in Pennsylvania at 8.8 percent, where it remained from January 2010 through April 2010.

In a survey of establishments, the state found there were 23,700 more nonfarm jobs in February, with 18,800 of those in the service industries. For the first time in at least two years, only one sector lost jobs: professional and business services where 2,400 jobs were cut in February.

The sector that gained the most jobs during the month was education and health services, which added 11,500 jobs. Construction and manufacturing jobs were both up for the month and in a year-over-year comparison. Construction gained 2,900 jobs in February compared to the previous month and was up by 14,300 jobs over February 2010. Manufacturing gained 1,400 jobs in February over January and was up 11,600 jobs over a year ago.