Cameron County Unemployment Highest in State

http://www.bradfordera.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/doc4aefaa2b1f24f955231181.txt

Unemployment rates are beginning to creep downward, yet Cameron County’s rate is still higher than any of the other 66 counties in Pennsylvania. According to a report from the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and Analysis encompassing September, Cameron County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 17 percent, down from the August rate of 18.3 percent. The state average for September was 8.8 percent. One year before, in September of 2008, Cameron County’s unemployment rate was 9.6 percent.

In Elk County, the rate for September was 13.6 percent, down from 13.8 percent the previous month. At the same time in 2008, the unemployment rate was 6.6 percent.Potter County’s rate for September was 11.1 percent, down from 11.6 percent in August. The previous year’s rate was 7.5 percent.McKean County had a slight increase, with 10.9 percent unemployment in September compared to 10.8 percent the month before. In September of 2008, the rate was 6.8 percent.

The Center also reports on the number of available jobs in local areas. In September, there were 17,600 non-farm jobs in McKean County. A year before, there were 18,100. There were 15,200 private jobs, down by 400 jobs from September 2008. Goods-producing jobs are also down 400 from last year, with a total of 5,500 now. Service-providing jobs had the slightest hit over the past year, with 100 jobs lost. Those losses are listed in the government sector.

In Cameron County, there were 100 fewer jobs in each of three areas — non-farm, private and goods-producing. Service-providing jobs have remained the same for the past year.In Elk County, there were 700 fewer jobs in both the non-farm and private sectors than the previous year. There were 600 fewer jobs in the goods-producing sector, all of which were lost manufacturing jobs. The service-providing jobs decreased by 100 over the past year.In Potter County, there were 100 fewer jobs in several sectors, including non-farm, private and manufacturing. Service jobs held steady over the past year.

The national economic picture from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is given from December 2007, which they’ve pegged as the start of the recession.The number of long-termed unemployed — those who have been off work longer than 27 weeks — has risen by 4.12 million. The number of discouraged workers — those who are of employment age, but not actively seeking employment — has risen by 430,000.The total of under-employed people — those working part-time jobs instead of full — was 17 percent in September, an increase of 8.3 percentage points. The rate represents 26.2 million American workers.

The Bureau statistics show there were 2.387 million job openings in August of 2009 nationwide; there were 14.928 million unemployed workers. For each available job opening nationwide, there were 6.25 unemployed people in competition to fill that job