Department of Numbers

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Reading rose 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 7.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the Pennsylvania rate. The unemployment rate in Reading peaked in April 2020 at 17.2% and is now 9.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 6.4% in November 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.1 percentage points. You can also compare Reading unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Pennsylvania 7.3% 0.0 +2.3
Reading 7.5% +0.1 +2.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Reading, Pennsylvania, National

Reading, Pennsylvania monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Reading peaked in April 2020 at 38,390. There are now 22,742 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 14,118 in December 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,530. Reading employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Reading, Pennsylvania) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Reading 15,648 +194 +5,538

Number of Unemployed Persons

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Pennsylvania
Unemployment Rate		 Reading
Unemployment Rate		 Reading
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 7.3% 7.5% 15,648
January
2021		 6.3% 7.3% 7.4% 15,454
December
2020		 6.7% 7.1% 6.4% 14,118
November
2020		 6.7% 7.1% 6.4% 14,122
October
2020		 6.9% 7.0% 7.1% 15,925
September
2020		 7.8% 7.1% 8.0% 18,033
August
2020		 8.4% 10.2% 10.3% 22,653
July
2020		 10.2% 13.0% 12.0% 26,811
June
2020		 11.1% 13.3% 13.0% 28,862
May
2020		 13.3% 13.5% 13.7% 31,260
April
2020		 14.8% 16.2% 17.2% 38,390

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. ↩

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