HARRISBURG — The state Labor and Industry Department is newly estimating Pennsylvania employers shed 195,000 jobs in 2009, or better than 1 in 30.

The new estimate released Thursday, however, also said employers added nearly 10,000 jobs to payrolls in January.

The department had previously estimated employers shed about 150,000 jobs in 2009. The state's 5.56 million jobs on record in January is the fewest since March 1999.

The department said the unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in December and January after initially setting it at 8.9 percent in December.

The new estimates reflect an annual adjustment the department carries out to try to most accurately reflect all data collected during the year.