HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s payrolls expanded at the fastest rate in two years in February.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday that the number of nonfarm jobs grew by almost 17,000, and stands at almost 5.72 million. The unemployment rate remained at 7.6 percent in February after five straight monthly declines.

Most of the growth was in professional and business services and education and health services.

The national unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in February.