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May jobless rate up in Washington, Greene

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The unemployment rate in Washington and Greene counties registered a slight uptick in May, according to preliminary state figures released Tuesday.

According to the state Department of Labor & Industry, Washington County’s seasonally adjusted preliminary jobless rate of 5.6 percent was up 0.1 percent from the 5.5 percent final rate for April. Last month’s rate was 0.6 percent below the May 2016 rate of 6.2 percent.

Greene County’s preliminary seasonally adjusted rate of 6.2 percent in May was also 0.1 percent higher than the 6.2 percent rate for April. However, the current rate is 1.8 percent below the 8.0 percent reported for May 2016.

In Washington County, which has a seasonally adjusted labor force of 106,200, there were 6,000 unemployed in May. Greene County, which has a seasonally adjusted labor force of 17,400, had 1,100 without work in the May report.

According to L&I’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis in Harrisburg, the May seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area grew one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.4 percent in May.

The May rate compares to the current statewide rate of 5 percent and the U.S. rate of 4.3 percent.

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

CWIA said seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased 2,100 to 1,170,200. Over the year, jobs were up 0.8 percent (+9,800) in the MSA, while statewide jobs grew 0.9 percent.

In the region, leisure and hospitality had the largest increase (+5,500 jobs) due to outdoor recreational businesses and restaurants hiring seasonal staff.

The largest decline was in education and health services (-4,800) as spring semester ended at some local area colleges and universities.

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