Washington, Greene jobless rates rise
Unemployment rates rose in Washington and Greene counties for a second consecutive month in February.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released seasonally adjusted figures Tuesday, listing Washington’s rate as 5.2 percent, up 0.1 of a point from January, and Greene’s as 5.0 percent, a leap from 4.7. Greene’s figure has jumped 1.1 points over the past two months, from 3.9 in December.
Those February numbers, however, remained below the U.S. (5.5) rate and at or below Pennsylvania’s 5.2 rate. Washington has been under the national number for 24 of the past 25 months and at or below the state figure for at least the past 29 months. Greene has been below both sets of numbers for at least the past 29 months.
Unemployment in both local counties is significantly lower than it was in February 2014, when Washington was at 6.3 percent and Greene was at 5.7.
Washington is one of seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 5.2 percent February jobless rate, unchanged from January, but 0.8 down over the year. The MSA also includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland.
Butler (4.4) had the lowest figure and Fayette (6.9) the highest in the MSA. Fayette, however, is 1.0 down over the year.
Washington had the fourth-lowest figure in the MSA, behind Butler, Allegheny (5.0), Westmoreland (5.1) and ahead of Armstrong (5.6), Beaver (6.0) and Fayette.