The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Business

October 26, 2009

Jobless rate on the rise

12.8 percent rate highest in region

MERCER COUNTY — Mercer County’s jobless rate grew to a revised 12.8 percent in August, up from the original 11.6 percent estimate.

The August rate was revised upward to reflect additional information gathered showing there were more unemployed. The latest unemployment rate shows the recession continues to take a heavy toll on the local economy, particularly on manufacturing.

August’s rate was the highest seen since June when the county’s unemployment rate hit 13.2 percent — matching a level not seen since November 1992 when Sharon Steel Corp. closed its doors.

The initial September jobless rate shows it declined slightly to 12 percent but that rate can be adjusted up or down next month as additional data becomes available. Last September the county’s jobless rate was at 8.3 percent.

The county’s unemployment rate continues to remain well above the national 9.8 percent rate and the state’s 8.8 percent rate.

September’s figures show the city of Sharon has the second highest unemployment rate of any city or municipality tracked by the state at 13.5 percent. Only Reading had a higher rate at 14.5 percent. A rate is kept for Sharon because it was the county’s largest city in the 2000 census.

Mercer County had the fifth-highest unemployment rate out of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Cameron County had the highest rate at 17 percent while Centre County had the lowest at 6.1 percent.

Figures show there were 500 fewer county residents working in manufacturing than there were a year ago.

The county’s labor force in September was 53,900, down 800 from August while those employed stood at 47,400, down 300 over the same period. The number of unemployed was 6,500, down 500 from August.

Surrounding counties continued to have a lower unemployment rate than Mercer County. Surrounding counties’ rates were:

• Lawrence, 9.8 percent

• Butler, 7.8 percent

• Crawford, 11 percent

• Venango, 9.5 percent

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