Local Unemployment Down Significantly
by Amanda Jones
Echo News Editor
Pennsylvania’s Unemployment rate ticked back down for November 2016, as was indicated by preliminary data analyzed last month by the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (CWIA).
The rate for November 2016 has been calculated at 5.7% statewide, compared to the 5.8% rate recorded for October of 2016. The rate has hovered around that level for the past few months. The current rate is the second-highest over the last 29 months.
The four-week average for initial jobless claims was up to 20,525 across the state, as compared to last month’s approximately 14,500 average. It is likely that many of the initial claims come from seasonal workers that are being furloughed for the winter months. The unemployment count was 77,000 higher than the recent low set in J