REGION

REGION
Jobless rates releasedfor Mercer, Lawrence
SHARON -- Unemployment held steady at 4.2 percent from September to October in Mercer County, but rose from 4.8 percent to 5.1 percent in the same period in Lawrence County.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said the statistics were influenced by continued losses of manufacturing jobs, some job growth in state and local government, the drop in consumer confidence in the economy since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and a work force that has shrunk somewhat because of military reservists' being called away to active duty.
Pennsylvania's overall unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in October, compared with 5 percent for the nation. The October 2000 unemployment rates were 4.8 percent for Mercer County and 4.9 percent for Lawrence County.
Vindicator staff report