The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in Warren County crept downward in July, while the total rate went up.

In the seasonally-adjusted numbers, a decrease in the adjusted labor force outpaced a decrease in adjusted employment, resulting in a downward change in unemployment.

The seasonally-adjusted 4.3% announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) is almost two full points lower than unemployment one year previous.

That rate is also equal to state-wide unemployment for July.

The total rate was 4.8% in July — up from 4.6% in June and 4% in May. The not-adjusted state-wide average for July was 4.7%.

The number of unemployed people didn’t change, but the labor force shrank.

The largest change in a particular sector was a loss of about 200 jobs — not seasonally-adjusted — in local government in July compared to June, according to L&I.

In July 2021, total unemployment (not seasonally-adjusted) was 7.2% in the county.

Regionally, Warren County is low in both the adjusted and not-adjusted numbers.

Meadville’s adjusted rate matches Warren County’s at 4.3%. But its not-adjusted rate is higher at 5.1%.

Forest County is at the high end of both comparisons with 6.9% (seasonally-adjusted) and 7.2% (not adjusted).

The national rates were 3.5% (adjusted) and 3.8% (not adjusted).

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.