SHENANGO VALLEY Unemployment in counties falls

The jobless rate dropped nearly one-half of a percentage point in March in Mercer County. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry released statistics that show the unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 percent in February to 5.9 percent in March.
The number of people working rose from 53,800 to 54,500; the number still seeking jobs dropped from 3,600 to 3,400. Job growth was evident in the goods-producing and service sectors, the state said.
In Lawrence County, the jobless rate dropped six-tenths of a percentage point to 7.8 percent in March. The county's unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point when compared to March 2003.
The total job count in Lawrence County expanded from 36,300 in February to 37,700 in March. The state reported that with temperatures warming in March, hiring in leisure and hospitality augmented increases in education and health services. The number of unemployed in March was 3,100, about 200 fewer than in February.