Jobless rates increase in Washington, Greene
Unemployment rates in Washington and Greene counties increased in September.
Washington’s figure nudged upward 4.2 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point from August. Greene’s rate, however, rose precipitously from 4.5 to 4.9 percent. The state Department of Labor & Industry released the seasonally adjusted figures this week.
Unemployment has declined in both counties over the year- 0.8 percent in Washington (from 5.0) and 0.6 percent in Greene (from 5.5).
The Washington County rate is one-tenth of a point above the 4.1 figure of Pennsylvania and the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. (The state rate was unchanged from August and the MSA figure was up one-tenth.) The national jobless rate is 3.7 percent.
Washington County’s labor force, according to Labor & Industry, was 105,900 in September, 900 more than in August. Employment increased by 800 – to 101,500 – and the number listed as unemployed rose by 100 to 4,400.
Greene, for the fifth straight month, had a labor force of 16,300. There were 15,500 listed as employed, down by 100, and the number of unemployed jumped by 100 to 800.
Washington had the third-lowest countywide rate in the MSA, which also consists of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties, plus Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh MSA had the eighth-lowest rate among Pennsylvania’s 18 MSAs. The Gettysburg and State College MSAs had the lowest rate (3.3); East Stroudsburg and Johnstown (5.2) the highest.
Butler had the lowest unemployment figure in the MSA, 3.8 percent, followed by Allegheny (4.0), Washington, Westmoreland (4.3), Beaver (4.4), Armstrong (4.7) and Fayette (5.7). Fayette’s rate rose one-tenth of a point, but was well below its September 2017 figure of 6.6 percent.
Among the state’s 67 counties, Chester tied had the lowest jobless rate (3.1). Forest (6.3) had the highest.
Nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA increased by 1,600 over the month to 1,189,200 – a record high. Over the year, jobs were up by 0.9 percent in the MSA, a bump of 10,500, and rose by 1.3 percent statewide.
Education-related supersectors experienced the largest increases month-over-month, as schools, colleges and universities resumed classes. Government had the single-largest bump of any supersector – 8,400. Leisure and hospitality lost 8,100 positions, the biggest decline.