Jul 30, 2013 2 min read

Washington and Greene counties each experienced a 0.1 percent rise in its unemployment rate from May to June.

The seasonally adjusted rate increased to 7.1 percent in Washington County and 6.6 percent in Greene, according to June preliminary statistics released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

Washington’s figure dropped three of the previous four months and Greene’s six of the previous eight.

The Labor Department figures – which are approximate – indicate that Washington had 900 more people in the seasonally adjusted labor force in June than May (111,000 to 110,100), but the number of employed rose by only 700 (102,400 to 103,100).

Greene’s estimated labor force (22,400) and number of employed (21,000) remained about the same as in May.

The seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area fared much better than Washington and Greene, its jobless figure dropping 0.1 of a point to 6.8 percent. That was the fifth consecutive monthly decline for the region, composed of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Allegheny and Butler had the lowest jobless rates (each 6.7 percent), Fayette the highest (8.7).

The Pittsburgh MSA gained 4,000 nonfarm jobs in June for a record 1,173,000. Nonfarm jobs in the MSA increased by 10,100 in 2013 and 16,100 over the past year.

Construction (1,700-plus), manufacturing (900-plus) and mining and logging (200-plus) experienced strong job increases, according to non-seasonally adjusted figures for June.

Preliminary estimates indicate that 5,900 jobs were added in leisure and hospitality, although there were seasonal declines in edcucational services (about 1,100), state government (1,200) and local government (1,400).