Pittsburgh Business Times online, July 27, 2004, 11:16 AM
June unemployment rate climbs to 5.6%
The Pittsburgh metro area's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate moved up in June, but the region had plenty of company across the state.
Locally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose half a percentage point in June to 5.6 percent from May's 5.1 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
But June unemployment rates rose in all 14 of Pennsylvania's metropolitan statistical areas, and the state's unemployment rate moved up to 5.6 percent, matching the national figure, the labor department said on Tuesday.
Allegheny County had the lowest June unemployment rate in the Pittsburgh region, at 5.1 percent, labor department data shows. The unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in Butler County, 5.8 percent in Westmoreland County, 6 percent in Washington County, 6.2 percent in Beaver County and 8.6 percent in Fayette County. No figure was available for the city of Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh area's resident employment fell in June, while unemployment increased, according to the labor department. Those factors accounted for the rising unemployment rate, which matched the figure from June 2003.
But the labor force and resident employment levels remained above last June, according to the labor department. The labor force has been growing since December 2003, indicating area residents are more confident in the economy and looking for work.
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