Unemployment rates decline in two-county area
Jobless rates in Washington and Greene counties declined in May, according to the latest state statistics.
The state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday the May preliminary unemployment rate for Washington County was 6.4 percent, down 0.4 percent from April’s final rate of 6.8 percent. The latest rate was 1.2 percent above the 5.6 percent rate recorded for May 2015.
In Greene County, the preliminary May rate was 7.8 percent, down 0.3 percent from April’s final rate of 8.1 percent, but 1.7 percent higher than the 6.1 percent rate of May of a year ago.
In Washington County, which has a seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of 107,700, there were 6,900 without work in May. Greene County has a labor force of 18,600 with 1,500 out of work.
The May seasonally adjusted jobless rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area decreased 0.2 percent to 5.7 percent. In addition to Washington County, the Pittsburgh MSA includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
According to data from L&I’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis, Butler County had the lowest May rate of 5.2 percent, while Fayette County held the highest rate at 8.6 percent.
In May, seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased by 6,500 to 1,158,800. Over the year, jobs were down 0.2 percent (-2,800) in the MSA, while statewide jobs grew 0.7 percent.
The trade, transportation and utilities supersectors added 3,200 jobs in May, with gains spread across all three sectors (wholesale trade, retail trade and transportation, warehousing and utilities). Colleges and universities jobs fell 4,400 as summer break started at area schools.