SUNBURY– The monthly national employment and jobless numbers are out. U.S. job growth slowed in the month of August with employers adding 156,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate rising to 4.4 percent.
Bob Garrett, President and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce spoke about the local unemployment rate this morning on On the Mark and says Montour County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state, “The four counties in the Greater Susquehanna Valley, Montour County is always among the lowest in the state. This past month, I can tell you they were the lowest at 3.9%.”
He adds that both Snyder and Union Counties are below the national unemployment average. Northumberland County on the other hand has about 2,400 people looking for work, “Northumberland County, just because of the nature of the industries that are located in Northumberland County and a little larger population some other challenges, and it’s at 5.5%. That would be about 2400 people looking for work over in Northumberland County.”
Garrett says we do have a strong local economy, but we continue to have a labor shortage, and gaps between the skills people have and the jobs that are being created locally. The Chamber of Commerce is working to find a solution, “The chamber is working day in and day out, providing the training, providing the education for people for the jobs that currently exist in the Valley.”
