Jobless rates fall again in the Tri-State region
Unemployment rates continued to drop throughout the Tri-State region in September, as businesses recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic slowdown.
The Maryland Department of Labor released the September numbers and updated figures for previous months on Wednesday. Pennsylvania and West Virginia had previously posted similar jobless reports to their government websites.
In the Tri-State region, Morgan County, W.Va., had the lowest September unemployment rate, at 5.2%. Fulton County had the highest, at 10.5%.
Washington County figures
Washington County’s unemployment rate dropped for the fifth straight month.
The figure hit 11.4% in April as governments imposed restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus, which can cause COVID-19.
But the rate has dropped each month since then, most recently falling from 6.8% in August to 6.4% in September. In September 2019, the figure was 3.4%.
Hagerstown’s unemployment rate has followed a similar trend in recent months. The figure hit 14.1% in April, but it has fallen each month since then. The city’s jobless rate fell from 9.5% in August to 9.1% in September. The rate was 4.2% in September 2019.
Maryland’s unemployment rate fell from 7.2% in August to 6.9% in September.
None of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions recorded double-digit unemployment rates in August. Baltimore city and Prince George’s County had the state’s highest rates, at 9.1%. Carroll County had the lowest, at 4.7%.
The rate was 5.7% in Frederick County, 6.9% in Allegany County and 5.4% in Garrett County.
Regional figures
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped from 10.4% in August to 8.1% in September.
Franklin County’s rate fell from 8.8% in August to 6.9% in September.
Fulton County’s rate fell from 13.7% to 10.5%.
West Virginia’s rate declined from 8.9% in August to 8.6% in September.
In Berkeley County, the rate fell from 6.9% in August to 5.9% in September. Jefferson County’s rate dropped from 6.6% to 5.8%, and Morgan County’s rate fell from 6.3% to 5.2%