MERCER COUNTY — While Mercer County’s jobless picture got slightly better in one area it got worse in others.
The county’s preliminary November unemployment rate edged down to 11.9 percent from September’s 12 percent. But even with the dip, it was high enough to make the county the third highest in Pennsylvania, following Cameron County at 16 percent and Fulton County at 13.7 percent. In October Mercer County had the fourth highest rate in the Pennsylvania.
In November Mercer County continued to remain above the state’s 8.5 percent rate and the national 10 percent rate.
Things didn’t get any better with October’s revised figures showing the rate crept up to 12.5 percent from the 12.3 percent estimate.
Unemployment rates are revised as more information is collected. Unemployment figures and statistics are compiled by the state Department of Labor and Industry. Figures for November show the county’s labor force was 53,200, down 700 from October, while the number of employed was 46,900, down 200 from the previous month. Those unemployed dropped to 6,300 in November, down 400 from October.
Surrounding counties’ jobless rates were:
• Lawrence, 9.6 percent
• Butler, 7.1 percent
• Crawford, 9.6 percent
• Venango 9.3 percent
Sharon’s jobless rate in November was 12.8 percent. A rate is kept for Sharon because it was the county’s largest city based on the 2000 Census.
