Regional jobless rates drop, but remain high
Unemployment rates declined across Southwestern Pennsylvania in May, but remained lofty because of the pandemic.
All seven counties in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, including Washington, experienced a decrease of three percentage points or more from their April jobless figures, according to seasonally adjusted statistics released last week by the state Department of Labor & Industry.
Washington County’s jobless rate for May was 13.9%, down 3.5 points from 17.4% a month earlier. The May 2019 figure was 4.3%.
Washington’s May rate ranked fourth in the MSA, behind Butler (12.0%), Allegheny (13.2%) and Armstrong (13.7%).
Fayette County had the MSA’s highest unemployment figure for the second consecutive month, but its rate fell to 16.7%, a 3.8% plummet in one month from 20.5%.
Westmoreland (17.7%) and Beaver (15.0%) ranked fifth and sixth in the MSA, where the collective May rate was 13.7% – down from 17.0% in April. The MSA rate was 4.1% in May 2019.
Greene, which is not in the Pittsburgh MSA, experienced a decrease as well, from 14.9% in April to 12.7%. The county’s rate a year earlier was 4.9%.
Pennsylvania’s May jobless figure was 13.1%, down from 16.1%, while the national rate dropped from 14.6% to 13.2%.
The Pittsburgh MSA gained 41,900 nonfarm jobs in May, a 4.3% monthly increase to 1,017,600. Jobs over the year, however, were down 14.6% (174,500) in the MSA, and 14.3% statewide.