The job hunt may be a long, complicated process but according to a new report by Penn State and Verizon Pennsylvania Inc., job growth in Pennsylvania has reached its highest point in a decade.

"Road to 2001: An Update on Pennsylvania" details statewide and county changes in population, total and sector unemployment plus statewide job change by industry, both for June 1997-1999 and for the decade of the 1990s.

Job opportunities peaked at the highest point in a decade during June 1998-1999, while the state's unemployment rate reached a new June low for the 1990s, matching the national unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, according to the report.

More than 100,000 new jobs were created for the second year in a row. The rate of job gain rose for the third straight year, the report said. New highs in job growth and record low unemployment in 1999 marked the eighth consecutive year of economic expansion for Pennsylvania. The state's record continued to mimic the upward trend of the U.S. economy in the 1990s.

"Forecasts. . .suggest some slowing down of growth in gross state product and job growth in the next two years, but indicate no real downturn in the state's economy," Theodore Fuller, Penn State economist and co-author of "Road to 2001," said in an online report.

Martin Shields, assistant professor of agricultural economics, said, "I see modest growth as compared to the U.S. but I can't see a decline. I'm confident for the next couple years."

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are where highly skilled workers are more in demand, especially in information technology and professional services.

"It's tougher for liberal arts (majors) but business and engineering face a real good job market," Shields said. "The economy is doing well for the educated. It's more difficult for people without degrees."

The report indicates the state's population increased only an estimated 0.9 percent over the decade versus 9.7 percent in the United States. It is projected to grow 1.4 percent during 2000 to 2010 compared to 8.4 percent in the country as a whole.

"Rapid population growth is not necessarily a desirable end in itself," Shields said in an online report. "However, the state must possess an adequate supply of trained labor to maintain economic growth."

Typically rural counties like Centre County tend to have slower rates of population growth or even actual declines. They also show slower employment growth and higher rates of unemployment throughout the decade.

"These counties have not participated as fully in long-term national expansion and may be prone to the 'brain drain' of their labor force," Shields said.

The brain drain or out-migration of younger college educated workers from the state was outlined as a potential problem for Pennsylvania in a recent report.