Department of Numbers

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Reading fell 0.1 percentage points in January 2023 to 3.9%. 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 April 2020 at 17.9% and is now 14.0 percentage points lower. You can also compare Reading unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
Pennsylvania 4.3% 0.0 -0.2
Reading 3.9% -0.1 -1.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February 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 37,114. There are now 28,782 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Reading employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Reading, Pennsylvania) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Reading 8,332 -96 -3,347

Number of Unemployed Persons

Reading, Pennsylvania Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Pennsylvania
Unemployment Rate
Reading
Unemployment Rate
Reading
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 4.3% 3.9% 8,332
December
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.0% 8,428
November
2022
3.6% 4.4% 4.1% 8,588
October
2022
3.7% 4.4% 4.2% 8,835
September
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.3% 9,142
August
2022
3.7% 4.3% 4.5% 9,436
July
2022
3.5% 4.3% 4.5% 9,365
June
2022
3.6% 4.3% 4.5% 9,526
May
2022
3.6% 4.3% 4.6% 9,669
April
2022
3.6% 4.3% 4.8% 10,060
March
2022
3.6% 4.4% 5.0% 10,390

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.