Fayette County’s jobless rate soars to 11.3 percent in January
Fayette County’s jobless rate jumped into the double digits for the first time in several years, reaching 11.3 percent in January, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. “A rise in unemployment over the year while the labor force and resident employment declined pushed the unemployment rate up,’ Michele Hiester, state industry and business analyst said in her monthly report.
The number of unemployed people also leapt from 5,500 in December to 6,900 in January, while the labor force moved only slightly from a total of 61,300 in December to 61,400 in January. Fayette’s December jobless rate was 8.9 percent. The county’s January 2002 unemployment rate was 9.5 percent.
While there were also increases in neighboring counties from December to January, they were not as large.
For instance, Greene County’s unemployment rates were 6.6 percent in December; 7.8 percent in January; and 6.7 percent in January 2002.
Washington County’s rates were 6.4 percent in December; 8 percent in January; and 7 percent in January 2002.
Westmoreland County’s rates were 5.9 percent in December; 7.4 percent in January; and 6.5 percent in January 2002.
Hiester said retailers reduced their payrolls letting go of their holiday help throughout the region. Clothing and general merchandise stores accounted for more than half the reduction in the number of jobs. More than 20,000 such jobs were cut in January.
The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA), which includes Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler and Allegheny counties, realized a 2.5 percent drop in the number of jobs from December to January, she said.
The total number of jobs in the PMSA in December was 1,122,000 nonfarm and 170,900 good producing.
Nonfarm jobs fell by 28,000 and goods producing fell 7,400 from December to January in the PMSA.
“The state reduced jobs by 2.6 percent. Declines are typical at this time of year when the holiday shopping season ends and construction contracts are impacted by winter weather,’ she reported.
Construction jobs in the PMSA fell in January due to the more extreme weather.
Hiester said there were 1,100 fewer construction jobs in the PMSA in January than during January 2002.
Manufacturing also lost jobs with iron and steel mills bearing the brunt of the declines.
Professional and business services reported above average losses from December to January, she said, despite losing fewer people than the same time last year.
There were also seasonal declines in leisure and hospitality, mostly because of the rough winter weather.
“Education-related reductions due to holiday breaks pulled jobs down in local government and some private colleges and universities,’ Hiester said.