Unemployment claim spike in Clinton County

HARRISBURG, PA – Continued unemployment insurance claims by Clinton County residents showed a considerable increase for the seven day period ending March 6, according to information released Thursday by the state Department of Labor and Industry.

For the week ending Feb. 27, there were just under 1,000 continued claims. A week later, that number registered 1,257. Males accounted for 68% of the claims, and 22% were in the construction field. Initial claims decreased slightly, from 75 to 69 for the period ending March 6. More than two thirds of the new cases were filed by males, and 28% of them were in the construction sector.

The state also reported that 19 county residents had their unemployment insurance benefits expire during the same time frame. Since the beginning of the year, 316 county residents have had their benefits expire, according to the Department of Labor and Industry.

Unemployment rates for all 67 counties for the month of January should be released in the next week. Clinton County’s December unemployment rate was 6.6%.