May 2, 2017 2 min read

Jobless rates in Washington and Greene counties declined in March, according to the latest state data.

The state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday Washington County’s preliminary unemployment rate of 5.2 percent was down 0.3 percent from February’s final rate of 5.5 percent. The latest rate was also 1.1 percent lower than the final rate for March of 2016.

Greene County’s, preliminary March jobless rate of 5.6 percent, was 0.6 percent lower than February’s final rate of 6.2 percent and 2.6 percent below the 8.2 percent final rate of March of a year ago.

In Washington County, which had a seasonally adjusted labor force of 106,400, there were 5,500 without work in March.

Greene County, which has a labor force of 17,300, had 1,000 unemployed in the latest reporting period.

According to L&I’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis in Harrisburg, the lower jobless rates of both counties mirrored those of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which currently has a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.1 percent, which decreased by 0.1 percent compared to February. Over the year, the MSA rate is down 0.6 percent.

In addition to Washington County, the Pittsburgh MSA includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties and Pittsburgh.

The current regional rate is just above the statewide rate of 4.8 percent and the U.S. rate of 4.5 percent.

According to L&I, in March, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA decreased 1,700 to 1,176,000.

Construction jobs in the region were on the rise in March (+1,600) as warmer weather began to set in.

Leisure and hospitality showed a seasonal increase (+3,300), the largest job gain of any supersector.