CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The unemployment rate worsened in both Franklin and Fulton counties in January, according to the latest data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Franklin County's seasonally adjusted rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.8 percent in January. Fulton County's rate was up nine-tenths of a percentage point to 14 percent.

Franklin County shed 1,000 non-agricultural jobs in January, including 200 jobs in the manufacturing sector. The total of 54,600 non-farm jobs represented the lowest level for a January in the county since 2005, according to analysis presented in a news release.

Seasonal hiring at Whitetail Resort partially offset Franklin County's job losses. Leisure and hospitality jobs increased 300 to 5,200, analysts stated.

Whitetail's employment fluctuates from fewer than 100 people in the summer, when the golf course is open, to more than 1,000 people in the winter for the ski resort, according to published reports.

Franklin County also lost 400 jobs in the "trade, transportation and utilities" category. Analysts attributed those losses to seasonal cuts in the retail trade, although jobs in the category decreased by 1,100 in two years to the latest total of 12,700.

Fulton County remained steady at 4,500 non-farm jobs, which represented the same number as January 2009.

Franklin County tied with Tioga County, which is home to Mansfield University, for the 26th lowest employment rate in January among Pennsylvania's 67 counties. Fulton County ranked 66th.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate in January remained at 8.8 percent for a second month. The national rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 9.7 percent.