Local jobless rate increases

Unemployment rates in Potter and Cameron counties hover well above state and national averages.

Jobless figures for February, released this week, show that 6.8% of Potter County's adult population is looking for work. The Cameron County figure is 6.3%.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate for the same period stood at 4.0%. The country's jobless rate held steady at 4.6%.

Elk County saw an increase in jobs during February, resulting in an unemployment rate of 4.7%.

Across northcentral Pennsylvania, there were job losses in manufacturing, transportation, utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade. The only area showing an increase was government. Employment held steady in construction, natural resources mining, finance, educational and health services, leisure and hospitality.