Oct 3, 2018 2 min read

The unemployment rates in Washington and Greene counties changed little in August.

Washington’s figure nudged upward one-tenth of a percentage point from July to 4.1 percent, while Greene’s remained at 4.5 percent, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Over the year, unemployment has declined significantly in both counties – 1.1 percent in Washington (from 5.2) and 1.4 percent in Greene (from 5.9).

The Washington County rate equals that of Pennsylvania and is slightly above the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area figure, which remained at 4.0 percent. The national jobless rate is 3.9 percent.

Washington County’s labor force, according to Labor & Industry, was 104,800 in August, down 600 from July. Employment dropped about 700 over the month, to 100,500, and the number listed as unemployed rose by 100 to 4,300.

Greene, for the fourth straight month, had a labor force of 16,300. There were 15,600 listed as employed, up by 100 from July, and the number of unemployed remained at 700.

Washington had the third-lowest countywide rate in the MSA, which also consists of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler and Fayette counties, plus Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh MSA had the eighth-lowest jobless rate among Pennsylvania’s 18 MSAs.

Butler had the lowest unemployment figure in the MSA, 3.7 percent, followed by Allegheny (3.8), Washington, Westmoreland (4.2), Beaver (4.3), Armstrong (4.7) and Fayette (5.6). Fayette’s rate rose two-tenths of a point from July, but was well below its August 2017 figure of 6.9 percent.

Among the state’s 67 counties, Centre and Chester tied for the lowest jobless rate (2.9 percent). Forest (5.9) had the highest.

Nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased by 600 over the month to 1,184,600. Over the year, jobs increased by 0.7 percent in the MSA, a bump of 8,000. Jobs statewide increased by 1.1 percent.

All supersectors experienced over-the-month decreases except information and mining and logging, which did not change. The biggest drop was in other services, which was affected by the closure of several YMCA locations.

Jobs were up 5,900 over the year, sparked mainly by education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.