Jobless rate falls in Washington, rises in Greene
Washington County’s unemployment rate fell for a third consecutive month in December, while Greene’s rose one-tenth of a percentage point, according to the latest state data.
Washington’s preliminary jobless figure was 5.2 percent, down two-tenths from November, and Greene’s was 5.9 percent, up one-tenth from the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted statistics released Tuesday by Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
After experiencing an increase in six of the first seven months of 2015, Washington saw a dip in unemployment four of the final five. Its December rate was up from 5.0 percent in December 2014.
Greene’s rate has been elevated since dropping to 3.9 percent in November 2014, but has been steady since peaking at 6.0 percent in May 2015. The December figure was 1.3 points higher than it was a year earlier.
Both local counties were above the Pennsylvania (4.8) and U.S. (5.0) figures for December. Greene has been above the state and national jobless levels for 10 consecutive months, after being at or below both sets of figures for the previous 30.
Washington County’s workforce was 108,300 in December, 700 more than November. The number of employed increased by 900, to 102,600, while the number of unemployed dipped by 100, to 5,700.
Greene’s labor force (19,000), number of employed (17,900) and unemployed (1,100) remained the same.
Washington is one of seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 4.8 percent rate in December, down from 5.0 in November and 5.0 a year earlier. Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties make up the rest of the MSA.
Butler had the lowest figure (4.2) and Fayette (6.6) the highest in the MSA. Washington had the fourth-lowest rate, behind Butler, Allegheny (4.3) and Westmoreland (4.8), and ahead of Beaver (5.3), Armstrong (6.1) and Fayette.
Employment has picked up significantly among those bottom two counties, though. Fayette’s figure was two-tenths lower than it was in November and fifth-tenths below its October rate of 7.1 percent; Armstrong’s plummeted by five-tenths in one month, from 6.6.
Chester (3.3) had the lowest rate among counties in the state, Cameron had the highest, 6.7.
Nonfarm jobs increased by 3,800 in the Pittsburgh MSA, to 1,179,5400. Over the year, they were up 1.2 percent (14,000-plus) in the MSA and 0.7 percent statewide.
Construction jobs fell by 4,000 during the month, and the professional/business and education/health categories each lost 1,400. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 3,400 positions.