The unemployment rate dropped from April to May in all four local counties, according to the Pennsylvania civilian labor force data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor and Industry.
Unemployment rates were also dramatically lower in those counties — Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter — than they were one year ago in May 2020 after COVID-19 restrictions were put in place.
In Cameron County, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 7.3 % in April to 6.5% in May. The size of the county’s civilian labor force decreased from approximately 2,100 to 2,000 in that time. About 1,900 county residents are employed.
Cameron County’s unemployment rate in May 2020 was 22.2%. The labor force was approximately 2,000 people at that time.
Elk County’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.3% in April to 6.7% in May. The total labor force lowered from 14,700 to 14,500 in that time, and about 13,600 people were employed there in both months.
The unemployment rate in Elk County in May 2020 was 20.9%.
In McKean County, the rate dropped from 7.0% in April to 6.3% in May. The total labor force lowered from about 17,000 people to 16,800. There were about 15,800 people in McKean County employed in April and about 15,700 employed in May.
McKean County had an unemployment rate of 15.5% in May 2020.
Potter County saw the smallest decrease in unemployment, changing from 6.4% in April to 6.2% in May. The labor force and number of employed people remained fairly steady at 7,100 and 6,700, respectively.
The unemployment rate in Potter County in May 2020 was 12.2%.
The unemployment rate in all four counties was lower than the statewide rate in May. Pennsylvania’s rate was 6.9%
Meanwhile, the national rate was lower than that in Pennsylvania, with the U.S. reporting a 5.8% unemployment rate in May.
The North Central workforce development area, which includes Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties, reported an unemployment rate of 6.7% in May, down from 7.3% in April and from 14.0% in May 2020.
In May, Potter County ranked number 34 in the by-county ranking by unemployment. Potter County was tied with Jefferson County.
McKean County was ranked 36 and shared that ranking with Berks, Blair, Carbon, Schuylkill and Wayne Counties.
Cameron County shared its ranking of 45 with Beaver, Lehigh and Northumberland counties; and Elk County shared its ranking of 52 with Mercer, Sullivan and Greene counties.
Tied for No. 1 in the state are Chester and Montour counties with unemployment rates of 3.9%. At No. 67 is Philadelphia with 8.9%.
