Jobless rate for Pittsburgh region falls to record low of 3.4%
The Pittsburgh region’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate for December decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to a record low dating to January 1976, when the rate started being tracked, according to the most recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
Butler County’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 3.4% was the lowest of the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area at 3%, which was down three-tenths of a percentage point from November.
Armstrong, Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland are the other counties in the Pittsburgh region. All saw a decrease to their seasonally adjusted jobless rate from November to December last year.
Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate did increase one-tenth of a percentage point, rounding out to 3.5%, while the national average stood the same at 3.7%.
Butler County’s seasonally adjusted labor force gained 200 workers from November to December to 98,700, with 3,000 people unemployed.
After Butler, Allegheny County had the second lowest rate at 3.2%, followed by Washington County at 3.3% and Westmoreland County at 3.4%.
Fayette County had the highest rate in the Pittsburgh region in December with a rate of 4% followed by Beaver County at 3.9%.
In surrounding counties not classified as part of the Pittsburgh region, both Mercer and Clarion counties came in with a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 3.9%, followed by Venango County at 4.2% and Lawrence County at 4.3%.
The Gettysburg region and the State College region were tied for the lowest in the state at 2.7% in December with Lancaster behind them at 2.8%.
East Stroudsburg remained the highest region in the state with a rate of 4.5% followed by Johnstown at 4.4% and Scranton at 4.1%.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh region decreased by 1,500 in December to 1,171,800.
Statewide jobs were up by 1.8% since December 2022 in the Pittsburgh region.
Jobs, however, declined from November to December in seven of the 11 “supersectors” in the Pittsburgh area — the broadest groups of industries.
There was a three-way tie in supersectors for the top losses, which was shared by education and health services, health care and social services, and then education, which each lost 3,600 jobs over the past month.
Trade, transportation and utilities did have a seasonal increase of 1,600 jobs in December.
Over the past year, jobs were up in nine of the 11 supersectors, led by education and health services which added 4,900 jobs since December 2022.
