HARRISBURG: Franklin County’s unemployment rate increased to 4.6 percent in March after three months without changing. The county’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate in December, January and February was 4.3 percent, its lowest rate in more than 7 years.
Despite the rise in unemployment, Franklin County’s rate remains below the state and national averages, and near what officials consider full employment. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry released the county data earlier this week.
About 4,100 people living in Franklin County were without jobs, 200 more than in February, according to seasonally unadjusted figures. About 75,900 residents were working. While more residents were without jobs compared to a month earlier, employers in the county had more employees. Some residents commute to jobs outside the county.
A survey of employers in the county indicated a seasonally unadjusted gain of 200 jobs, according to the Department of Labor and Industry. Hiring in construction, professional & business services, education & health services, leisure & hospitality and federal government more than made up for the loss of 200 retail jobs during the month.
Local employers have reported a gain of about 1,700 jobs since March 2015, when unemployment was 4.9 percent. Manufacturing and local government were the biggest jobs losers (200 each) during the year. The biggest gainers were retail (400 jobs), warehousing & transportation (300) and education & health services (300). Franklin County’s jobless rate had been declining nearly every month since it peaked at more than 9 percent during the recession of the 2009-10.
Franklin County tied Berks and Bucks counties for the 11th lowest unemployment rate among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in March. Unemployment rates and rankings of neighboring counties were: Fulton (6.1 percent, 38th); Huntingdon (6.7 percent, t- 49th); Juniata (5.0 percent, t-19th); Perry (4.4 percent, t-eighth ); Cumberland (4.1 percent, fifth); and Adams (3.7 percent, first). Fayette and Forest counties (8.2 percent) had the highest unemployment rates.
