Unemployment claim picture in Clinton County sees some improvement

HARRISBURG, PA – Clinton County’s job picture continues to improve slightly, according to unemployment claim information released Friday by the state Department of Labor & Industry.

The initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Feb. 27 were 75, down from 79 listed for the previous week. The construction sector accounted for 28% of the new claims, and 64% were males. The continued claims fell to 966, down from the 1,010 listed for the week ending Feb. 20. The recent number shows 24% in the construction field, and 64% are male. The 966 number is one of the few times the continued claims have been under 1,000 since the pandemic began. The high mark was 3,219 continued claims in the first week of May 2020.

The state also reported that 49 county residents had their unemployment benefits expire during the week ending Feb. 27. Since the beginning of the year, 297 people have had benefits expire.

The February monthly unemployment rates for all 67 counties should be released soon. The January rate in Clinton County was 6.6 percent.