Unemployment rates for most Pennsylvania counties moved little in August, new figures show, but jobs for the Pittsburgh region increased more than expected.

Butler County's unemployment rate in August was 3.6 percent, down just a tenth of a percentage point from 3.7 percent in July, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

Lauren Riegel, an analyst with the center, said 40 out of Pennsylvania's 67 counties either maintained their unemployment rate in August or moved by a similarly tiny amount as Butler County.

“In general, there was not a huge amount of change in the unemployment rate,” Riegel said.

Pennsylvania's overall rate of 3.9 percent did not change.

Butler County is still floating near a record low of 3.2 percent that was hit in February and April, according to Riegel.

Riegel said it wasn't unusual: 31 out of 67 counties set record low unemployment rates or matched a previous one in 2019. Many of those which did not, she explained, have very low unemployment rates on record, such as Snyder County's 1.1 percent from January 1987.

Jobs numbers for the seven-county Pittsburgh metropolitan area are somewhat more interesting, Riegel explained.

After adjusting data for seasonal changes, the center still reported an increase of 9,600 jobs in August, an increase of about 0.8 percent.

Riegel looked into several industries in the area to see any unusual jumps. Education services appeared to see its usual increase from school returning slightly sooner than usual, she said, since it usually sees a decrease in August. The same factor might have affected trade and transportation, as school buses are a major driver in the transportation industry.

As for how Butler County stacked up, the 3.6 percent rate puts it in a three-way tie for the 11th lowest rate in the commonwealth. Bucks and Perry counties tie it.