Department of Numbers

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Philadelphia fell 0.1 percentage points in March 2023 to 3.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Pennsylvania rate. The unemployment rate in Philadelphia peaked in April 2020 at 14.3% and is now 10.5 percentage points lower. You can also compare Philadelphia unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.5% -0.1 -0.1
Pennsylvania 4.2% -0.2 -0.2
Philadelphia 3.8% -0.1 -0.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with March 2023 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, National

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Philadelphia peaked in April 2020 at 440,893. There are now 316,472 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Philadelphia employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is also available.

Unemployed Persons March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Philadelphia 124,421 -3,271 -9,827

Number of Unemployed Persons

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Pennsylvania
Unemployment Rate
Philadelphia
Unemployment Rate
Philadelphia
Unemployed
April
2023
3.4%
March
2023
3.5% 4.2% 3.8% 124,421
February
2023
3.6% 4.4% 3.9% 127,692
January
2023
3.4% 4.3% 4.0% 128,318
December
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.0% 129,525
November
2022
3.6% 4.4% 4.0% 129,433
October
2022
3.7% 4.4% 4.0% 129,185
September
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.0% 129,212
August
2022
3.7% 4.3% 4.0% 129,561
July
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.0% 130,117
June
2022
3.6% 4.3% 4.1% 130,920
May
2022
3.6% 4.3% 4.1% 131,941

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.