The 4.7 percent jobless rate in Butler County in April is the lowest in more than five years.

That comes from 96,500 people employed out of a possible work force of 101,300 in the county, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

The last time the unemployment rate in the county was lower than 4.7 percent was in July 2008 at 4.6 percent, which was months before the Great Recession officially began.

However, business leaders say the rate could be even lower.

“Even though the unemployment rate is low, there are still jobs that if we had the right skilled people, the unemployment rate would be at 2, 3 percent,” said Stan Kosciuszko, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.

He said that during a meeting Thursday he had with business leaders and employers, some businesses reported they are struggling to fill numerous positions with qualified candidates.

“Two of the employers there at that meeting, one is an industrial (employer), and one is kind of a technical service industry (company),” he said.

“The technical service industry (company representative) said they have 25 open positions that they have not been able to fill last month. The industrial (employer) said they have not been able to do an expansion like they wanted because they can’t find the employees.”

At 4.7 percent, the unemployment rate in the county is lower than any other county in the nine-county region.

The highest unemployment rates in the region in April were in Armstrong and Clarion counties, both at 6.4 percent.

Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, expressed a similar view to Kosciuszko. While the low unemployment rate is good for the community, it’s a different story when it comes to businesses looking to hire.

“We have hotels that need staff; restaurants that need staff, and industries and businesses that need staff,” Cohen said.

“So we look at that, and that’s great for the community is doing so well, but by the same coin, we’re struggling to find good, quality employees at all of our properties,” he said.

“Without a regional transportation piece, it’s difficult to get people to come into our community to help fill these jobs. That’s a need.”

Industries hiring in the county go from technical fields, such as welding and mechanical jobs, to customer service positions at hotels and restaurants. Cohen said the hiring gap has been an ongoing issue.

However, he said, “We’ve noticed within the last year that the job market was getting tighter.”

Ken Raybuck, executive director with the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, said some places have been trying to close “the skill gap” through industrial training at Butler County Community College, for example.

“There’s a move ... at the colleges to help the companies find that quality work force,” Raybuck said.

Overall, though, once that skill gap begins to close, the county has the potential to thrive still more.

“PPG in Cranberry Township is bringing people from outside the county,” he said. “As time goes on, companies like that will attract new residents here, and attract jobs for existing residents.”