Area unemployment rises during July
A drop in government, education and transportation employment pushed area jobless rates higher in July.
Fayette County’s unemployment rose from 9 percent in June to 9.4 percent in July. Fayette’s jobless rate in July 2010 was 9.5 percent.
Greene County’s unemployment rates were 7.2 percent in July; 7.1 percent in June; and 7.5 percent in July 2010.
Washington County’s jobless rates were 7.5 percent in July, 7.4 percent in June and 7.9 percent in July 2010.
In terms of ranking, Fayette County placed 56th highest in unemployment among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Greene County ranked 18th and Washington County ranked 22nd highest.
In July, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) rose .1 percent to 7.4 percent, according to the monthly report issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. The local rate was below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.8 percent) and the United States’ rate (9.1 percent). The PMSA’s unemployment rate was down .5 percent from July 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down .8 percent and the national rate was down .4 percent over the same period.
Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the PMSA had the sixth lowest unemployment rate in July. Within the PMSA, Butler County had the lowest rate at 6.9 percent, while Fayette County had the highest rate at 9.4 percent. The other counties in the PMSA are Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, Westmoreland and Armstrong.
Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from a low of 6.1 percent in Centre County to 11 percent in Cameron County, according to the Department of Labor.
Also, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the PMSA rose 2,900 in July to 1,143,100. July marked the sixth monthly increase in seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the 2011 calendar year. Statewide jobs also gained, adding 8,700 in July to 5,693,200. Jobs in the PMSA were up 14,600 (1.3 percent) from July 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 70,500 (1.3 percent) from the previous year’s level.
In specific areas, goods-producing jobs in the PMSA fell by 100 in July to 152,900. July’s goods-producing decline followed four consecutive months of increases of at least 3,000. Construction continued to show growth, gaining 600 jobs, and has now shown positive movements for five consecutive months.
Manufacturing accounted for the only goods-producing decline, ending four months of gains. Over the year, goods producers have added 3,800 jobs, with manufacturing adding 1,500, mining and logging adding 1,200 and construction adding 1,100, all showing increases beyond previous year’s levels.
However, service-providing jobs fell 10,900 in July, returning below the 1 million job mark. In the service sector, the Department of Labor reported, government provided the steepest decline in July, carried by a seasonal job loss in public schools.
The local government decline of 11,900 was slightly larger than the previous five-year average decline of 10,300. Trade, transportation, and utilities experienced the second largest over-the-month job decline, down 1,800.
This decline was associated with school bus transportation, and was relatively minor compared to the previous five-year average decline.
Professional and business services provided the largest July increase, adding 1,700 jobs and matching the supersector record level of 163,200 set in July 2008. Leisure and hospitality added 600 jobs in July, establishing a new all-time high level of 116,200.
Over the year, five out of the eight service providing supersectors have shown growth. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 4,800 jobs; professional and business services increased by 3,300 jobs; and education and health services, which grew by 3,000 jobs, have provided the greatest over-the-year increases.
Conversely, government, which fell by 2,700 jobs; information, which fell 300 jobs; and other services, which declined 100 jobs, have experienced declines from the previous year’s levels.