Jun 10, 2020 2 min read

Unemployment rates, not surprisingly, soared across Southwestern Pennsylvania in April.

All seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, including Washington, experienced an increase of more than 10 percentage points from their March jobless figures – which climbed from February as the coronavirus began its local invasion.

This is according to seasonally adjusted statistics from the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Washington County’s jobless figure for April was 17.3%, an 11.0-point jump from 6.3% the previous month and even farther removed from 4.1% in April 2019. Yet, that most recent rate was the third-lowest in the Pittsburgh MSA, behind Butler (15.7%) and Allegheny (15.9%).

Fayette County, conversely, had the MSA’s highest unemployment figure in April – a massive 20.5%, a 12.0-point increase from the month before.

Westmoreland (17.8%), Armstrong (18.0%) and Beaver (18.7%) ranked fourth through sixth in the MSA, where the collective April rate was 16.8%. That was the region’s highest figure since January 1983. The April rate represented a 10.9-point monthly jump.

Greene, which is not in the Pittsburgh MSA, experienced a modest increase in joblessness by comparison. But Greene’s rate still nearly doubled, from 7.6% in March to 14.6% in April. The county’s unemployment rate in April 2019 was a mere 4.8%.

Pennsylvania’s jobless figure for April was 15.1%, up 9.3 points from March. The national rate rose 10.3 points to 14.7%.

From March to April, according to Labor & Industry, the number of Washington County residents listed as unemployed more than doubled, from 6,800 to 18,300. Its labor force decreased from 107,700 to 106,100 over that period, while the number of employed also fell (100,900 to 87,700).

Greene County’s list of unemployed rose from 1,300 to 2,300 over that month, as its workforce fell from 16,900 to 15,700 and its number of employed from 15,600 to 13,400.

The Pittsburgh MSA lost 201,700 (17.0%) of its non-farm jobs over the month, dropping the total to 985,100, the fewest on record (dating to 1990). All supersectors there were down, the largest decline coming in leisure & hospitality – which was the case statewide as well.