On the job: Region's unemployment rates drop, mirroring national trends

Mike Lewis, The Herald-Mail
·4 min read

Echoing national trends, unemployment rates dove to below 4% in Hagerstown and Washington County in April.

Unemployment rates also fell in Franklin and Fulton counties of Pennsylvania and in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties of West Virginia.

Washington County's jobless rate of 3.2% was its best since May 2019, when the figure also was 3.2%.

Hagerstown's April unemployment rate of 3.8% was its best on record, according to the state's online reports, which date to 2005.

The figures mirror national trends. The U.S. Department of Labor reported last week that employers advertised 11.4 million jobs at the end of April. That's down a bit from nearly 11.9 million in March, the highest level on records that date back 20 years.

At that level, there are nearly two job openings for every unemployed person. And it is a reversal from the historic pattern, according to the Associated Press. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more unemployed people than available jobs.

Across the country, the number of people quitting their jobs remained near record highs at 4.4 million in April, mostly unchanged from the previous month. Nearly all of those who quit do so to take another job, typically for higher pay.

The Maryland Department of Labor released its monthly county-level unemployment report Wednesday. The report shows figures for April and, in some cases, revised numbers for March.

Figures for Pennsylvania and West Virginia were released in late May.

In Washington County

The county's unemployment rate fell from 4.3% in March to 3.2% in April. The figure was 5% in April 2021 and 11.3% in April 2020, near the start of the pandemic.

One factor in the improving unemployment rate continues to be the declining number of people in the labor force, which is the total number of people who are employed plus the number of people who are unemployed and seeking work.

The labor force fell from 72,980 in March to 71,548 in April. It totaled 71,556 in April 2021.

The number of people with jobs fell from 69,865 in March to 69,228 in April. That figure was 67,949 in April 2021.

The number of people without work fell from 3,115 to 2,320. It was 3,607 in April 2021.

In Hagerstown

The city's jobless rate fell from 4.7% in March to 3.8% in April. The rate was 7.2% in April 2021 and 14.1% in April 2020, at the start of the pandemic.

Spherion, a staffing and recruiting firm, had a "Now Hiring!" sign set up on East Oak Ridge Drive on May 20. The firm has an office at 120 E. Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 700.
Spherion, a staffing and recruiting firm, had a "Now Hiring!" sign set up on East Oak Ridge Drive on May 20. The firm has an office at 120 E. Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 700.

The number of employed people fell from 17,371 to 17,212. That figure was 16,894 in April 2021.

The number of people without jobs dropped from 852 to 683. The number was 1,302 in April 2021.

And the city's labor force fell from 18,223 to 17,895. It was 18,196 in April 2021.

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

State, national numbers

Maryland's unemployment rate, not adjusted for seasonal factors, fell from 4.3% in March to 3.5% in April.

It was 5.7% in April 2021.

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Among Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions, Carroll County had the lowest rate, at 2.4%. Worcester County had the highest at 5.8%.

The April rate was 2.8% in Frederick County, 4.4% in Allegany County and 3.1% in Garrett County.

The United States' unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%. It was 6% in April 2021.

In Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in April, according to the state's latest report. The March number had previously been reported as 4.6%.

Franklin County’s rate dropped from 3.5% in March to 3.3% in April. According to the report, 73,800 people were working and 2,500 were unemployed in April. The labor force fell from 76,700 in March to 76,300 in April.

Fulton County's unemployment rate fell from 4.6% in March to 3.8% in April.

In West Virginia, the state's rate, not adjusted for seasonal factors, declined from 4% in March to 3.6% in April.

Berkeley County’s rate fell from 2.7% to 2.4%. The Jefferson County rate dropped from 2.2% to 2%. And the Morgan County rate fell from 2.7% to 2.3%.

Area jobless rates

  • The April unemployment rates for area counties:

  • Washington County: 3.2%, down from 4.3% in March

  • Franklin County, Pa.: 3.3%, down from 3.5% in March

  • Fulton County, Pa.: 3.8%, down from 4.6% in March

  • Berkeley County, W.Va.: 2.4%, down from 2.7% in March

  • Jefferson County, W.Va.: 2%, down from 2.2% in March

  • Morgan County, W.Va.: 2.3%, down from 2.7% in March

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

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Unemployment rates dive in Washington, Franklin counties