Counties with the highest unemployment in Pennsylvania

In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, 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 October 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.

Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS. 

In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses. 

The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Pennsylvania.

#25. Berks County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 213,076 people (7,253 unemployed)

#24. York County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 239,399 people (8,138 unemployed)

#23. Greene County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,276 people (531 unemployed)

#22. Carbon County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,725 people (1,141 unemployed)

#21. Indiana County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,357 people (1,256 unemployed)

#20. Beaver County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 81,196 people (2,821 unemployed)

#19. Elk County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,016 people (503 unemployed)

#18. Clarion County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,567 people (556 unemployed)

#17. McKean County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,422 people (592 unemployed)

#16. Tioga County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,784 people (672 unemployed)

#15. Venango County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,163 people (731 unemployed)

#14. Mercer County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,933 people (1,678 unemployed)

#13. Lawrence County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 38,323 people (1,405 unemployed)

#12. Cambria County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,695 people (2,034 unemployed)

#11. Schuylkill County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 64,544 people (2,417 unemployed)

#10. Sullivan County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,570 people (97 unemployed)

#9. Potter County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,764 people (254 unemployed)

#8. Huntingdon County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,435 people (737 unemployed)

#7. Monroe County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 81,231 people (3,157 unemployed)

#6. Luzerne County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 159,006 people (6,277 unemployed)

#5. Fayette County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,487 people (2,168 unemployed)

#4. Cameron County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,845 people (76 unemployed)

#3. Pike County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,679 people (1,048 unemployed)

#2. Philadelphia County/city

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 748,221 people (33,286 unemployed)

#1. Forest County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,661 people (78 unemployed)

This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.