Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Reading fell 0.2 percentage points in February 2019 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Pennsylvania rate. The unemployment rate in Reading peaked in February 2010 at 9.3% and is now 5.7 percentage points lower. You can also compare Reading unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	February 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.8%	-0.2	-0.3
Pennsylvania	4.0%	-0.1	-0.5
Reading	3.6%	-0.2	-0.8

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with February 2019 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Reading, Pennsylvania, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Reading peaked in February 2010 at 19,586. There are now 11,879 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Reading employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Reading, Pennsylvania) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	February 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
Reading	7,707	-328	-1,661

Number of Unemployed Persons

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Pennsylvania Unemployment Rate	Reading Unemployment Rate	Reading Unemployed
March 2019	3.8%	3.9%	—	—
February 2019	3.8%	4.0%	3.6%	7,707
January 2019	4.0%	4.1%	3.8%	8,035
December 2018	3.9%	4.2%	4.2%	9,079
November 2018	3.7%	4.2%	4.1%	8,893
October 2018	3.8%	4.2%	4.3%	9,164
September 2018	3.7%	4.2%	4.3%	9,091
August 2018	3.8%	4.2%	4.2%	8,878
July 2018	3.9%	4.2%	4.0%	8,535
June 2018	4.0%	4.2%	3.9%	8,188
May 2018	3.8%	4.3%	3.7%	7,720
April 2018	3.9%	4.3%	4.2%	8,750