Healthy job market in county
If you live in Butler County and want a job, odds are you've got one.
The most recent unemployment figures for Butler County and the surrounding region show high employment and healthy job availability locally.
Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry reports that Butler County's unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in July 2018, down from 3.8 percent in June. In a news release on the figures, the department notes that Butler County tied Allegheny County for the lowest unemployment rate out of the seven counties making up the Pittsburgh-centric region.
The department conducts seasonal adjustments to county unemployment rates set in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to Walter Nichols, a statistician with the state's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis. Without that seasonal adjustment, the bureau reports a 4.1 percent unemployment rate.
What the unemployment rate and more long-term estimates show for the region are an overall good job situation for the county and the Pittsburgh region, Scott Meckley, an analyst with the bureau.
He said Pittsburgh and Butler County benefit from high populations and diverse industries, and that today's figure matches historical trends.
“You're right about at that perfect spot where job seekers and available employment match up pretty much perfectly,” Meckley said. “Four percent is probably right about on.”
Read more in Sunday's Butler Eagle.
