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No change in local jobless figures

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The March unemployment rates for Washington and Greene counties remained the same over the month.

Washington’s rate was 3.7 percent, Greene’s 4.2, according to seasonally adjusted statistics released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Those weren’t the only similarities, as each county experienced a 0.8 percent drop from March 2018 – Washington from 4.5 percent, Greene from 5.0.

Washington is one of seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, where the March rate dropped one-tenth of a point to 3.9 percent. The MSA figure fell 0.5 percent over the year.

Pennsylvania’s figure likewise dipped one-tenth to 3.9 percent, while the U.S. rate stayed at 3.8.

Washington’s labor force, according to Labor & Industry, was 106,700 in March, up 100 from the previous month, and employment jumped by 200 (to 102,800). The same number of county residents (4,000) were listed as unemployed.

Greene’s labor force (16,800) and number employed (16,100) rose by 100 over the month. About 700 were classified as unemployed, the same as in January and February.

Washington and Beaver tied for the third-lowest countywide rate in the MSA, which also consists of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties, plus Pittsburgh. Butler County had the lowest unemployment figure in the MSA, 3.3 percent, followed by Allegheny (3.5); Washington and Beaver; Westmoreland (3.9); Armstrong (4.1) and Fayette (4.9).

Fayette’s figure was down two-tenths from February, and well below the 6.0 percent mark of March 2018.

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