Apr 27, 2004 By James Pletcher Jr. 3 min read

Area unemployment rose slightly in March despite some positive economic news. “The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the six-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) rose .2 of a percent from February to March for 5.3 percent unemployment, matching Pennsylvania’s rate for the seventh consecutive month,’ Michele Hiester, Pennsylvania Department of Labor industry and business analyst said.

Hiester added more residents entered the labor forces in the PMSA counties – Fayette, Westmoreland, Washington, Butler, Beaver, Allegheny and the city of Pittsburgh – “optimistic they would find work in light of the recent positive economic news.

“Some of the new entrants did not immediately find work, pushing the seasonally adjusted unemployment count and unemployment rate up over the month,’ she said.

“Despite the recent increase in the region’s unemployment, the rate is currently in a downtrend, which began in July 2003 when the rate was 5.7 percent.

“From July 2003 to March 2004 the seasonally adjusted labor force grew by 4,400 and employment counts have increased by 9,500 while unemployment decline by 5,100,’ in the PMSA, she added.

Compared to the PMSA jobless rate in March 2003, Hiester said, “the region’s unemployment rate dropped .3 of a percent.’

Locally, Fayette and Washington county jobless rates fell from February to March while Greene County’s rate rose.

Fayette County’s jobless rate fell from 10.1 percent in February to 9.7 percent in March after the number of unemployed also tumbled from 6,000 in February to 5,800 in March. Fayette’s March 2003 jobless rate was 10.6 percent.

Washington County’s rates were 6.6 percent in March; 7 percent in February; and 7.1 percent in March 2003.

Greene County’s rates were 7.4 percent in March; 6.8 percent in February; and 7.1 percent in March 2003.

Meanwhile, labor force figures did not change significantly from February to March in the three local counties.

However, the labor force in the PMSA rose from 1,173,500 in February to 1,180,800 in March.

The number of unemployed in February in the PMSA was 70,900, which fell to 69,000 in March.

Hiester reported the PMSA had an .8 percent growth in jobs from month-to-month. “Area goods producers and service providers both added jobs over the month with construction, natural resources and mining and leisure and hospitality accounting for more than half the total increase,’ she said.

In construction, PMSA employers added more than 700 positions for the year, Hiester said, “making this the first time since December 2001 when jobs were up compared to year-ago levels.’

Durable goods producers added about 400 jobs in March “pushing total manufacturing employment to the highest level this quarter,’ Hiester said, with 104,900 jobs in the PMSA.

Financial activities also gained 500 jobs from February to March and employers in administrative and support services increased their payrolls, she said.

“Health care and social assistance employment rose by 500 from February to March. The lion’s share of this increase occurred at area hospitals,’ Hiester said.

Restaurant employment also increase over the month, “as typically happens at the onset of spring,’ Hiester said. However, restaurant jobs were up in comparison to last March, she added.