Jobless rates up in Washington, Greene
In what has been become a common occurrence in 2015, the unemployment rates in Washington and Greene counties rose again in September.
Washington County’s figure was 5.7 percent, up from 5.4 from August, and Greene’s was 5.9 percent, a 0.2 percent rise, according to seasonally adjusted statistics released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
That was the seventh time in nine months this year that Washington County has experienced an increase. Greene’s figure has gone up five times. Both counties’ September rates are significantly higher than they were in December, when Washington had 4.9 percent unemployment and Greene 3.9.
Both local counties were above the U.S. (5.1) and Pennsylvania (5.3) rates for September. Greene has been above the Pennsylvania and national jobless levels for seven consecutive months, after being at or below both sets of figures for at least 30 straight months.
Washington County’s workforce was 107,300 in September, 100 more than August. The number of employed dropped 400 (to 101,100) and the number of unemployed increased by 400 (to 6,200).
Greene’s workforce (18,700) and number of employed (17,600) each rose by 100, while the number of unemployed stayed at 1,100.
Washington is one of seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 5.3 percent rate last month, up from 5.1 in August and the same as the previous September. The MSA also includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
Butler had the lowest figure (4.7) and Fayette (7.4) the highest in the MSA. Washington had the fourth-lowest rate, behind Butler, Allegheny (4.9) and Westmoreland (5.4), and ahead of Beaver (6.0), Armstrong (7.2) and Fayette.
Centre and Chester tied for the lowest rate among counties in the state, 3.7 percent, and Forest the highest, 7.5.
Nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased by 10,100 in September to 1,176,800. Over the year, they were up 1.2 percent (13,500) in the MSA and 0.7 percent statewide.
The government supersector had the largest seasonal job gains in the MSA. State government accounted for 1,900 jobs and local government educational services 8,200. Leisure and hospitality was down 7,400 positions, the biggest decline.