The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry recently published regional jobless data for January, which indicates small drops in county unemployment rates at the beginning of 2024.
Greater Philadelphia
Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are part of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which covers Philadelphia and nearby counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA stayed the same from December at 3.7% in January, according to Labor & Industry. The MSA's unemployment rate in January 2023 was 4%.
Broken down to the county level, the area saw slight decreases in unemployment rates in January compared to December.
In January, Chester County's unemployment rate was 2.3%, a decrease of four-tenths of a percentage point from December and seven-tenths of a percentage point from January 2023.
Montgomery County's rate for January was 2.6%, down two-tenths of a percentage point from December and seven-tenths of a percentage point from January 2023.
Delaware County's rate was 3% in January, down two-tenths of a percentage point from December and nine-tenths of a percentage point from January 2023.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Philadelphia MSA increased by 7,100 from December to reach a record high of 3,101,700 in January.
Berks County
Berks, which is part of the Reading MSA, recorded a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 3.5% in January, down two-tenths of a percentage point from December. January's figure represented a decline of seven-tenths of a percentage point from the same period in 2023, when the rate was 4.2%.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Reading MSA increased by 0.2%, or 300 jobs, from December to 180,700 in January.
Pennsylvania numbers
Pennsylvania's jobless rate remained unchanged in January at 3.4%, according to Labor & Industry. The state's unemployment rate in January was four-tenths of a percentage point lower than its level in January 2023 of 3.8%.
Pennsylvania's total nonfarm jobs increased by 14,800 over the month to a record high of 6,129,900. This marked the sixth consecutive record high for Pennsylvania's nonfarm jobs count. Compared with the same period in January 2023, total nonfarm jobs were up 70,100, as reported by Labor & Industry.
Around the state
Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Chester had the third lowest January jobless rate, tied with Cumberland and Union counties.
Montgomery had the tenth lowest jobless rate for January, tied with Adams and Centre counties.
Delaware County had the 21st lowest January jobless rate, but was tied with nine other counties for that position: Allegheny, Carbon, Clearfield, Juniata, Mercer, Somerset, Warren, Westmoreland and York.
Berks had the 52nd lowest January jobless rate, tied with Fayette, Indiana, Lawrence and Lycoming .
Pennsylvania's jobless data for February will be released by the Department of Labor & Industry on March 22, while specific county and municipal data will be released on April 2.
