Counties with the highest unemployment in Pennsylvania

Written by:
Stacker
May 3, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Pennsylvania

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Pennsylvania using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Pennsylvania.

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#50. Delaware County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 308,148 people (9,723 unemployed)

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#49. Elk County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,455 people (473 unemployed)

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#48. Susquehanna County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,517 people (671 unemployed)

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#47. Bradford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,425 people (946 unemployed)

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#46. Allegheny County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 643,357 people (21,038 unemployed)

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#45. Northampton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 169,484 people (5,738 unemployed)

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#44. Westmoreland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 178,396 people (6,103 unemployed)

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#43. Washington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 106,272 people (3,683 unemployed)

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#42. Lehigh County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 203,407 people (7,126 unemployed)

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#41. Berks County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 216,231 people (7,631 unemployed)

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#40. Juniata County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,580 people (452 unemployed)

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#39. Snyder County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,827 people (711 unemployed)

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#38. Mifflin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,349 people (774 unemployed)

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#37. Bedford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,563 people (884 unemployed)

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#36. Wyoming County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,800 people (505 unemployed)

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#35. Greene County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,816 people (579 unemployed)

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#34. Warren County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,346 people (640 unemployed)

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#33. Carbon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,331 people (1,249 unemployed)

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#32. Crawford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,774 people (1,391 unemployed)

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#31. Lycoming County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,522 people (2,096 unemployed)

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#30. Lackawanna County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 108,396 people (4,002 unemployed)

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#29. Columbia County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,164 people (1,349 unemployed)

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#28. Mercer County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,197 people (1,825 unemployed)

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#27. Beaver County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 82,752 people (3,136 unemployed)

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#26. Erie County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 128,674 people (4,871 unemployed)

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#25. Tioga County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,774 people (724 unemployed)

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#24. Clearfield County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,835 people (1,415 unemployed)

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#23. Schuylkill County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 66,297 people (2,568 unemployed)

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#22. Venango County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,846 people (833 unemployed)

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#21. Sullivan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,557 people (104 unemployed)

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#20. McKean County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,728 people (691 unemployed)

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#19. Jefferson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 19,230 people (791 unemployed)

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#18. Armstrong County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,484 people (1,279 unemployed)

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#17. Somerset County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,668 people (1,336 unemployed)

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#16. Cambria County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,341 people (2,302 unemployed)

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#15. Monroe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,183 people (3,383 unemployed)

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#14. Northumberland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,433 people (1,767 unemployed)

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#13. Luzerne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 163,036 people (6,869 unemployed)

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#12. Philadelphia County/city

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 764,762 people (32,182 unemployed)

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#11. Clarion County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,976 people (684 unemployed)

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#10. Clinton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,575 people (755 unemployed)

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#9. Wayne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,054 people (998 unemployed)

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#8. Indiana County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,997 people (1,578 unemployed)

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#7. Cameron County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,846 people (82 unemployed)

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#6. Pike County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,342 people (1,183 unemployed)

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#5. Fayette County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,561 people (2,485 unemployed)

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#4. Huntingdon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,560 people (898 unemployed)

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#3. Lawrence County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,127 people (1,855 unemployed)

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#2. Potter County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,731 people (339 unemployed)

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#1. Forest County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,679 people (85 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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