County jobless rate leaps upto 5.7 percent in January report

Mercer County’s jobless rate soared from 4.2 percent in December to 5.7 percent in January due to variety of factors.

The county’s labor force fell by 1,800 to 56,200 while those who were working in the county fell a sharp 2,600 to stand at 53,000.

Manufacturers laying off workers, retailers trimming their employment rolls after the Christmas holiday and local colleges closing for the semester break were all factors in January’s unemployment spike, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Pennsylvania’s jobless rate in January was 4.5 percent, the same level as the national rate. Service-producing jobs fell by a whopping 2,100 in the county in January and now totals 35,800. Retail trade dropped by 900 as extra helped hired fro the holiday season was no longer needed. Educational services fell by 700 due to semester breaks at local colleges.

The number of those who were unemployed in the county swelled by 800 from December to stand at 3,200 in January.

Construction and mining saw a loss of 400 jobs as seasonal factors reduced work at construction sites.

Goods-producing jobs declined by 600 and totaled 12,300 in January. The goods-producing sector have trimmed its payrolls by 1,400 jobs from January 1999 with layoffs at Trinity Industries Greenville plant playing a major factor.

The average weekly earnings of production workers in January was $617.82, a $8.43 drop from December.

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MERCER COUNTY

County jobless rate leaps up to 5.7 percent in January report

County jobless rate leaps upto 5.7 percent in January report