With 1,000 Mercer County residents finding work in July, the county unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent from 4.6 percent in June.

The county's rate was below the national rate of 5.9 percent and below the state's 5.4 percent rate.

A year ago the county's jobless rate stood at 5.2 percent.

Mercer County ranked 12th among the state's 43 labor market areas in terms of the best unemployment rate in July and was 11th among the state's 67 counties.

Figures show that the county's civilian labor force grew by 1,000 from June to stand at 59,300 in July and the number of residents working also increased by 1,000 over the same period to 56,700 in July. Still, resident employment totals of eased by 400 from July 2001.

Those unemployed dropped by 100 to 2,600 in July.

Since January the number of unemployed has receded by 900 and is down 500 over the year.

Forest County had the highest jobless rate in the state at 14.6 percent while Centre County had the lowest at 3.4 percent.

Surrounding county's jobless rates in July were:

   » Lawrence: 6 percent

   » Butler: 5 percent

   » Crawford: 7.7 percent

   » Venango: 5.2 percent

Sharon's jobless rate in July was 5.3 percent.

A rate is kept for Sharon because it's the county's largest city.