Jobless rates rise again in Washington, Greene
Unemployment rates for Washington and Greene counties rose for a second consecutive month in August and for the sixth time in 2016.
Washington’s figure was 6.5 percent, up three-tenths of a point from July, and Greene’s was 7.6 percent, an increase of 0.1, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Tuesday by Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
The August rates were well above those from a year earlier, when Washington’s figure was 5.2 percent and Greene’s 5.8.
Washington’s August labor force (107,000) was up 100 from July, but the number of employed fell by 300 (to 100,800) and the number classified as unemployed (7,000) increased by 300.
Greene likewise gained 100 in its labor force (to 18,600), with employment also rising by 100 (to 17,200). The number of unemployed stayed at 1,400.
The August jobless rate for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area was 5.9 percent, a 0.2 percent rise from July – and eight tenths of a point higher than the previous August. The MSA is composed of Washington, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
Butler (5.3) had the lowest rate in the MSA and Fayette (8.5) the highest. Fayette and Forest tied for the highest statewide; Chester County (4.1) had the lowest.
Washington and Beaver (6.5) tied for fourth-lowest, behind Butler, Allegheny (5.5) and Westmoreland (6.3), and ahead of Armstrong (7.9) and Fayette.
Greene and Washington were above the national (4.9) and Pennsylvania (5.7) jobless figures. Greene has been above both rates since February 2015. Washington has been at or above both for the past 13 months.
Nonfarm jobs decreased by 2,700 to 1,158,000 in the Pittsburgh MSA in August. Over the year, jobs were down 0.7 percent (8,300) in the MSA and up 1.0 percent statewide.
After two months of record increases, construction jobs declined by 1,600 the MSA. Jobs in the trade, transportation and utilities supersector fell by 12,600. Positions in leisure and hospitality declined from a record high in July, but experienced the largest growth (3,700) of any supersector over the past 12 months.