Unemployment is up in Warren County.

The rate rose in January for the first time in months.

According to statistics released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the unemployment rate for the county was 5.7 percent. That is up more than a full point compared to December’s 4.5 percent.

The county was trending downward after a high point of 6.7 percent in August.

The months following that peak had unemployment rates of: 5.8 percent in September, 5.4 percent in October, and 4.9 percent in November.

August’s rate was the highest since the 7.0 percent in March.

The January rate was still much lower than the January 2021 number — 7.9 percent.

According to L&I’s seasonally-adjusted information, there were about 1,000 fewer people in the labor force this January (17,400) compared to last (18,400). Of those, there were 400 more unemployed (1,400 to 1,000) last year over this year.

In the short-term, there were about 300 more people in the workforce in December (17,700 to 17,400), with 200 fewer unemployed. In November, the workforce was a little higher still — 17,800 — and 900 people were unemployed.

From December to January, the number of people employed in good-producing jobs and in leisure and hospitality jobs were each down by about 100.

In the region, Warren County’s January rate compared favorably with Bradford — 6.0 percent; Erie — 5.9 percent; and Forest County — 5.8 percent.

Meadville and Oil City each had lower unemployment rates, both at 5.5 percent.

The statewide average for January was 5.4 percent and the national average was 4.0 percent.

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor, seasonal adjustment “is a statistical technique that attempts to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment changes from month-to-month.”

“These seasonal adjustments make it easier to observe the cyclical, underlying trend and other nonseasonal movements in the series,” making it possible to make month-to-month comparisons.