The February unemployment rate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area held at 9.8 percent, according to new data released Tuesday by the state.
Although the jobless rate remained the same as January, employment in the region increased by 300 from the preceding month to 256,600, according to seasonally adjusted data from the state Department of Labor and Industry. The seasonally adjusted labor force declined by 1,700 over the same period to 290,100, according to the report.
"Everybody is worried about the rate staying the same, but employment has continued to grow," said Steven Zellers, a state labor analyst who tracks the region's performance. "It isn't all that bad. Most of this stuff is seasonal and typical."
A bright spot emerged from information provided by employers, indicating expansion of 1,600 jobs in educational services employment from January to February, which offset a decline of 800 retail positions.
February, though, represents the 35th consecutive month the region has led the state in unemployment.
"We are stuck here at the worst point for the state and the state is not going great itself," said Tim Kearney, Ph.D., director of the graduate program in business administration at Misericordia University in Dallas. "Our economy is a prisoner of the national economy. We are going to hang out here higher until that starts moving."
Pennsylvania's unemployment in February dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.1 percent and the national rate in February was 7.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in January.
Regional employment expanded by 1,600 jobs in February from the year-earlier period, seasonally adjusted data indicate. The area outperformed metros that lost jobs over the last year, including Erie and Williamsport. The local gain also was larger than the 1,100-job advance in State College, where unemployment is 6 percent, the state's lowest.
"The labor force is growing faster than the jobs are," Mr. Zellers said. "You are not as bad as the worst, if you want to put it that way."
Education services in February expanded by 1,600 after the holiday season break and retailers shed 800 jobs after ramping up employment for the Christmas shopping period.
Businesses services added 600 positions over the month, and employment in that sector is up by 1,800 over the last year. The warehousing and transportation field lost 200 positions over the month, but has added 1,200 jobs in the last year.
"Warehousing is putting you folks in good stead," Mr. Zellers said.
Lackawanna County's unemployment dropped to 8.5 percent, from 9.6 in January. Luzerne's rate decreased to 9.9 percent from 10.8, and Wyoming's jobless proportion dipped to 10.2 percent from 11.5.
Trends point to continued high regional unemployment as the nation and state continue to struggle to gain ground, Dr. Kearney said.
"It's going to be slow times for a while," he said.
Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com