HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s jobless rate ticked back down in the past two months.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that Pennsylvania’s jobless rate dropped to 7.5 percent in October from 7.7 percent in August.

The report covered two months because the federal government’s 16-day shutdown delayed September’s official employment figures by four weeks.

Pennsylvania had hit its post-recession low of 7.5 percent in May before the rate rose again in August. The national unemployment rate was 7.3 percent in August.

On the national level, U.S. job openings and overall hiring both reached five-year highs in September, signaling steady improvement in the job market.

Job postings rose 69,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.9 million, the Labor Department said today. That’s the most since March 2008, just a few months after the Great Recession began.

It’s also close to the roughly 4 million job openings each month that are consistent with healthier job markets.

Total hiring increased 26,000 to 4.6 million, the highest level since August 2008.