Jobless rates dip in Washington, Greene
The unemployment rates in Washington and Greene counties each dipped 0.1 of a percentage point in August, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Washington County’s seasonally adjusted rate was 5.4 percent and Greene’s 5.6. Washington’s figure was 0.3 points lower than the previous August, while Greene’s was up 0.4 percent over the year.
Both local counties were above the U.S. figure for August of 5.1 percent, and Washington matched the state rate of 5.4. Greene County has been above the Pennsylvania and national jobless levels for six consecutive months, after being at or below both sets of figures for at least 30 months.
Washington County’s workforce was 107,300 in August, a decrease of 400 from July. There were 101,500 employed (down 300), and the number of unemployed fell by 100 (to 5,800).
Greene’s workforce (18,600) and number of employed (17,500) remained the same, while the number of unemployed fell by 100 (to 1,000).
Washington is one of seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 5.1 percent August rate, down from 5.2 in July. The MSA also includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
Butler had the lowest figure (4.5) and Fayette (7.2) the highest in the MSA. Washington had the fourth-lowest rate, behind Butler, Allegheny (4.7) and Westmoreland (5.1), and ahead of Beaver (5.6), Armstrong (6.1) and Fayette.
Chester had the lowest rate among counties in the state, 3.6 percent, and Cameron the highest, 7.3.
Nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased by 2,900 in August to 1,187,000. Over the year, they were up 2.1 percent (24,900) in the MSA and 1.0 percent statewide.
After six monthly increases, the professional and business services supersector lost 1,400 positions, most of them in administrative and waste services.