Schuylkill County Unemployment Rate at Pre-Pandemic Level

The unemployment rate in Schuylkill County returned to a pre-pandemic level in October, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now, the 6.9% unemployment rate locally may not be much to crow about, but it is a positive sign for the local economy. Many of the jobs lost at the start of the pandemic, when Pennsylvania forced many businesses to close their doors and others to severely restrict operations, have been regained.

The unemployment rate in Schuylkill County dropped by 0.6% over the last month (September to October) tracked by BLS. At 6.9%, that’s the rate it was back in March 2020, a month before the bottom dropped out on the jobs market locally.

In April, the unemployment rate hit its high point of 16.2%. That’s a 9.3% increase in just a month. The rate has been steadily dropping since but faster in recent months.

Schuylkill County’s unemployment rate remains ahead of Pennsylvania’s. BLS reports the jobless rate across the state is 7.3%.

Here’s a look at unemployment rate in Schuylkill County through 2020:

• January (6.1%)
• February (6.1%)
• March (6.9%)
• April (16.2%)
• May (13%)
• June (13%)
• July (12.5%)
• August (10.5%)
• September (7.5%)
• October (6.9%)

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