Erie County’s already-low unemployment rate fell a bit lower in August.<\/p>\n
The seasonally adjusted share of people who are out of work fell to just 3.8% in August, according to the most recent numbers from the state Department of Labor & Industry.<\/a><\/p>\n That figure represents a new record-low, according to David Hand, an industry and business analyst for the state.<\/p>\n “It’s looking like a record-low,” at least using the current accounting method that dates back to 1990, he said. “The next lowest rate was 3.9% in July of 2024.”<\/p>\n That number represents a decline of two-tenths of a percentage point from July when the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was at 4.0%. The August number is also down eight-tenths of a percentage point from August of 2025 when the local unemployment rate stood at 4.6%.<\/p>\n Compared to a year ago, there are more people holding jobs in Erie County and also more people in the civilian labor force.<\/p>\n The number of people counted as employed stood at 124,000 in August, an increase of 3,300 jobs from August of 2025. During that same period, the civilian labor force grew from 127,300 to 129,100.<\/p>\n Employment grows in traditional sectors<\/p>\n “The growth areas are really the traditional areas where we have been seeing growth,” said Ken Louie, professor of economics at Penn State Behrend<\/a> and director of Behrend’s Economic Research Institute of Erie.<\/p>\n The sectors that have gained the most jobs over the past year were finance, education and health services and leisure and hospitality, Louie said.<\/p>\n “The economy is humming along, doing what it’s always done in these mainstream sectors,” he said.<\/p>\n Louie said the local numbers might be seen as a reflection of the national economy.<\/p>\n “This is a strong labor market, on one hand. On the other hand, they can’t control inflation,” Louie said. “People in the lower income brackets, they are struggling.”<\/p>\n Louie said standard economic theory talks about how the economy is shaped by both demand and supply shocks.<\/p>\n Looking for work?: Find a job or post a job in Erie County<\/a><\/p>\n Supply shocks, such as the ones created by wars in Iran and Ukraine, can be difficult to control, Louie said, and often cause inflation and create unemployment.<\/p>\n While there has been inflation, unemployment remains low, both in Erie and throughout the United States.<\/p>\n The state’s unemployment rate is 3.7%, while the U.S. rate is 4.1%.<\/p>\n What impact will seasonal hiring have in Erie County?<\/p>\n Don’t expect this batch of numbers to be affected by seasonal hiring. The influence of seasonal hiring patterns already are baked into the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.<\/p>\n Erie County manufacturing employment held steady at 19,000 in August, unchanged from the same number in August of 2025.<\/p>\n Large employer: Erie Insurance marked 100 years in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Among the state’s 17 metropolitan areas, Scranton-Wilkes Barre had the highest unemployment rate at 4.6%. The lowest rate belonged to State College at 2.8%.<\/p>\n Contact Jim Martin at jmartin3@usatodayco.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n