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Unemployment rate increases in Washington, Greene

2 min read
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The jobless rate in Washington and Greene counties increased in July, according to the latest state statistics.

The state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday Washington County’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up 0.2 percent, with Greene County’s rising by the same amount.

According to L&I’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis in Harrisburg, Washington County’s preliminary July rate of 6.2 percent was 0.2 percent above June’s final rate of 6 percent. It was 0.9 percent above the 5.3 percent recorded in July 2015.

In Greene County, the preliminary July rate was 7.5 percent, up 0.2 percent from the June final rate of 7.3 percent, and 0.4 percent below the 7.9 percent for July 2015.

In Washington County, which has a seasonally adjusted labor force of 107,700, there were 6,700 people without work in July.

In Greene County, where the labor force is 18,500, there were 1,400 jobless in July.

The local rates mirrored those of the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which posted a 5.7 jobless rate for July, up 0.2 percent from June, and up 0.6 percent from July 2015.

The current Pennsylvania rate is 5.6 percent, while the U.S. rate stands at 4.9 percent.

In addition to Washington County, the Pittsburgh MSA includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties and Pittsburgh.

According to CWIA, the Pittsburgh MSA had the 13th lowest jobless rate among Pennsylvania’s 18 MSAs.

Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County had the lowest rate at 5.1 percent, while Fayette County held the highest rate at 8.2 percent.

In July, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were essentially unchanged at 1,160,100. Over the year, jobs were down 0.4 percent (-4,700) in the MSA, while statewide jobs grew 1 percent. In July, nonseasonally adjusted jobs, those in construction rose 2,500, with specialty trade contractors representing 1,600 of those jobs.

In mining and logging, which includes natural gas extraction, there were 9,300 jobs, down 200 positions from June, but down 2,000 from July 2015. Manufacturing jobs rose by 400 positions from June to July, moving from 86,200 in June to 86,600 last month. However, the latest number is down 2,100 positions from July of a year ago.

Financial activities also declined by 2,400 jobs year to year, from 71,300 in July 2015 to 68,900 last month.

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