Jobless rates on the rise locally and across region
Jobless rates rose in Washington and Greene counties in February, according to the latest state statistics.
The state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday the preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Washington County in February stood at 5.7 percent, while Greene County’s was 6.9 percent.
According to statistics from L&I’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis, in Washington County, the latest rate was 0.3 percent above January’s final rate of 5.4 percent and was 0.4 percent above the 5.3 percent rate recorded in February 2015. Its seasonally adjusted labor force of 107,900 in February left 6,100 without work.
Greene’s latest preliminary jobless rate was 0.4 percent above January’s final rate of 6.5 percent, and two full percentage points above the 4.9 percent rate in February of a year ago.
The local rates were slightly higher than that of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, whose preliminary February rate of 5.0 percent, was up 0.2 percent from January’s 4.8 percent, and 0.1 percent higher than February of 2015.
In addition to Washington County, the Pittsburgh MSA includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties and the city of Pittsburgh.
The latest industry sector figures for the Pittsburgh MSA shows the ongoing downturn in energy as one of the causes of the increase in the region’s jobless rate. Under the goods producing sector, mining and logging jobs in February stood at 10,100, down 400 from January and down 1,900 positions from February 2015.
In manufacturing, the durable goods area employment stood at 61,400, down from January’s count of 61,800 and down 3,100 positions from February of a year ago, when durable goods employed 64,500.
The region’s latest employment picture also reflects the downturn in retail following the holiday season. The sector now employs 122,800 across the region, down 2,200 from January, but down only 200 from February 2015.
In Greene County, the seasonally adjusted labor force stood at 18,500, with 1,300 without jobs. As with the Pittsburgh MSA, Greene also continued the feel the effects of energy’s downturn.
The county’s total nonfarm employment in February was 14,800, down 100 in January, but 1,000 positions below the February 2015 count of 15,800.
The majority of the job losses – 800 positions – came from the mining, logging and construction area of the goods-producing sector, with another 100 positions lost in trade, transportation and utilities.
Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Allegheny and Butler counties tied for the lowest rate at 4.7 percent, while Fayette County held the highest rate of the seven counties at 7.2 percent.
Of the seven counties, only Armstrong County saw its jobless rate decline in February.