Washington, Greene jobless rates plunge
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The employment pictures in Washington and Greene counties brightened considerably in February, according to figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor and Industry.
They show that unemployment in Washington County plummeted to 7.1 percent, down a full percentage point from January (8.1). The February number is up from 6.8 percent in February 2012.
Greene’s jobless rate likewise dropped precipitously to 6.5 percent, well below the January figure of 7.4. Greene had 6.1 percent unemployment in February 2012.
February statistics also show about 7,800 were idle out of a labor force of 109,000 in Washington, and about 1,500 out of 22,300 weren’t working in Greene.
Unemployment also dropped in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area from 7.5 percent in January to 7.4. The seven-county MSA – made up of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties – gained 1,300 jobs from January to February.
For the second consecutive month, Allegheny and Butler counties tied for the lowest rate in the MSA at 6.6 percent. Fayette (8.9) again had the highest, but its jobless figure tumbled dramatically from 10.3 percent in January.
The state and national jobless figures also declined in February. Pennsylvania’s rate dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 percent, and the nation’s from 7.9 to 7.7.
Among Pennsylvania counties, Montour (5.7) had the lowest jobless rate and Montour (11.3) the highest.