Going to work? What the jobless picture looks like in Washington County, Hagerstown

Mike Lewis, The Herald-Mail
·4 min read

More people were working in Washington County in July compared to June, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%.

Hagerstown saw a similar trend. The city's unemployment rate slid to 4.7%.

Meanwhile, jobless rates rose slightly from June to July in south-central Pennsylvania and fell slightly in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

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The Maryland Department of Labor released its monthly county-level unemployment report Wednesday.

Figures for Pennsylvania were released Tuesday. The West Virginia statistics were released Aug. 24.

The reports show figures for July and, in some cases, revised numbers for June.

More people working in Washington County

The county's unemployment rate fell from from 4.8% in June to 4.2% in July. The figure was 5.8% in July 2021.

It was 11.3% in April 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic.

The number of employed people rose to 70,147 in July. That's the highest figure since December, in the midst of the holiday season, when it reached 70,711.

That number was 69,960 in June and 68,536 in July 2021.

The number of people without work dropped from 3,548 in June to 3,078 in July. The figure was 4,236 in July 2021.

Washington County's labor force fell from 73,508 in June to 73,225 in July. The total was 72,772 in July 2021.

The labor force includes those who have jobs plus those who are unemployed and seeking work.

Basically, the jobless rate is the number of residents without jobs and looking for work divided by the total number in the labor force.

The totals for Hagerstown

The city's unemployment rate dropped from 5.3% in June to 4.7% in July. The rate was 7.2% in July 2021 and 14.1% in April 2020, at the start of the pandemic.

The number of employed people rose from 17,394 to 17,441. That figure was 17,040 in July 2021.

The number of people without jobs fell from 968 to 857. The number was 1,324 in July 2021.

And the labor force total slipped from 18,362 to 18,298. It was 18,364 in July 2021.

The county and city numbers are not adjusted for seasonal factors.

Jobless rates fall throughout Maryland

Maryland's unemployment rate, not adjusted for seasonal factors, fell from 4.7% in June to 4.2% in July. It was 6.1% in July 2021.

All of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions reported that their rates dropped from June to July.

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Somerset County had the highest rate at 5.9%. Carroll, Howard and Queen Anne's counties recorded the lowest rates at 3.4%.

In Western Maryland, the July rate was 3.7% in Frederick County, 5.4% in Allegany County and 4.4% in Garrett County.

The United States' jobless rate dropped from 3.6% to 3.5%. It was 5.4% in June 2021

In Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate, not adjusted for seasonal factors, was 4.7% in July. The June number had previously been reported as 4.6%.

Franklin County’s rate rose from 3.8% in June to 3.9% in July. Fulton County's rate rose from 4.2% to 4.3%.

In West Virginia, the state's rate, not adjusted for seasonal factors, fell from 4.3% in June to 4.2% in July.

Berkeley County’s rate held steady at 3.1%. Jefferson County's figure fell from 2.8% to 2.7%, and Morgan County's rate dropped from 3% to 2.9%.

Area jobless rates

The July unemployment rates for area counties:

  • Washington County: 4.2%, down from 4.8% in June

  • Franklin County, Pa.: 3.9%, up from 3.8% in June

  • Fulton County, Pa.: 4.3%, up from 4.2% in June

  • Berkeley County, W.Va.: 3.1%, the same as in June

  • Jefferson County, W.Va.: 2.7%, down from 2.8% in June

  • Morgan County, W.Va.: 2.9%, down from 3% in June

— Source: State government reports

Mike Lewis covers business, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: July unemployment rates fall in Washington County Hagerstown