Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Reading fell 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points higher than the Pennsylvania rate. The unemployment rate in Reading peaked in April 2020 at 17.6% and is now 13.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.6% in July 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Reading unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.8% | 0.0 | +0.3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3.4% | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| Reading | 3.7% | -0.1 | -0.6 |
Unemployment Rate: Reading, Pennsylvania, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Reading peaked in April 2020 at 36,692. There are now 28,695 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 7,764 in July 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 233. Reading employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Reading, Pennsylvania) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 7,997 | -42 | -1,273 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Pennsylvania Unemployment Rate |
Reading Unemployment Rate |
Reading Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 3.4% | — | — |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 7,997 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 8,039 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 7,764 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 7,931 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 4.0% | 3.8% | 8,021 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 8,167 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 8,439 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 8,814 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 8,944 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 9,146 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 9,142 |
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. ↩
Department of Numbers
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