The unemployment rate for Schuylkill County has fallen another 0.2 of a percentage point to 7.2 percent in February, according to the latest figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor and Industry.
The last time the rate was any lower in the county was when it was 7 percent in October 2008.
"The job force has been dropping, but that is not unique to Schuylkill (County)," Steven Zellers, industry and business analyst with the department, said Tuesday.
The state rate decreased 0.2 of a point to 6.2 percent while the national rate increased 0.1 of a point to 6.7 percent. The county rate fell 2.1 percentage points over the year while the state rate dropped 1.5 points and the national rate went down only 1 point.
Total nonfarm jobs in Schuylkill County went unchanged over the month at 50,200.
Most employment industries had little change over the month. Changes over 100 may be due to rounding.
"February is like January in that there is very little movement and usually it is just seasonal stuff," Zellers said.
While people leaving the labor force has contributed to the declining rates for Schuylkill County, there has been some employment gain over the year.
Jobs were up by 200, or 0.4 percent, since last year while the state gained 14,500 jobs, up 0.3 percent.
"One (sector) that has done well for Pottsville year over year is leisure and hospitality," Zellers said. "Even though it was flat over the month, a lot of areas had drops over the month and it increased by 300 over the year. It's a smaller sector in Schuylkill County, so that is a 10.7 increase over the year. Statewide, it only went up 2.6 percent."
Schuylkill County was tied with Bedford, Cambria and Lackawanna counties for the 17th highest rate among the 67 counties in the state. Rates ranged from 4.7 percent in Lebanon and Montour counties to 9.3 percent in Cameron County.
Surrounding counties had the following rates: Berks, 6; Carbon, 7; Columbia, 5.6; Dauphin, 5.5; Lebanon, 4.7; Lehigh, 6.2; Luzerne, 7.9; and Northumberland, 6.9 percent.