Department of Numbers

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, Pennsylvania Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Scranton rose 0.2 percentage points in February 2021 to 8.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.4 percentage points higher than the Pennsylvania rate. The unemployment rate in Scranton peaked in April 2020 at 18.4% and is now 9.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.8% in November 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.9 percentage points. You can also compare Scranton 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
Scranton 8.7% +0.2 +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: Scranton, Pennsylvania, National

Scranton, Pennsylvania monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Scranton, Pennsylvania Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Scranton peaked in April 2020 at 50,120. There are now 26,529 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 20,461 in November 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 3,130. Scranton employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Scranton 23,591 +510 +7,496

Number of Unemployed Persons

Scranton, Pennsylvania Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Pennsylvania
Unemployment Rate		 Scranton
Unemployment Rate		 Scranton
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 7.3% 8.7% 23,591
January
2021		 6.3% 7.3% 8.5% 23,081
December
2020		 6.7% 7.1% 7.9% 20,548
November
2020		 6.7% 7.1% 7.8% 20,461
October
2020		 6.9% 7.0% 8.6% 22,545
September
2020		 7.8% 7.1% 9.6% 25,442
August
2020		 8.4% 10.2% 11.7% 30,719
July
2020		 10.2% 13.0% 13.8% 36,457
June
2020		 11.1% 13.3% 15.2% 40,200
May
2020		 13.3% 13.5% 15.7% 42,700
April
2020		 14.8% 16.2% 18.4% 50,120

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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