Jobless rates drop across region in 3 of 4 counties

Unemployment falls in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, holds steady in Berks

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania was down in October, the state Department of Labor & Industry said Tuesday. In Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties the rate was also down from September, while in Berks County it held steady.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate for the month was 6% — down two-tenths. The national unemployment rate was also down in October — to 4.6% — down twotenths from September.

The unemployment rate in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area — which includes the city and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware — was at 5.9%, a drop of one-tenth of a point over the month, Labor & Industry said.

Seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs were up by 7,300, or 0.3%, since September. By comparison, the statewide job total is up 2.4%.

The biggest gains were in leisure and hospitality (23,100). Trade, transportation and utilities was up by 9,500.

Over the year, jobs are up by 84,900, or 3.1%.

Broken down to the county level, Chester County had the lowest rate of 3.4%, a drop of three-tenths of a point since September. Its seasonally adjusted labor force was 280,200 with 270,700 employed.

Montgomery County was also down, falling to 4%. Its labor force saw a slight drop to 440,700, while employment was down to 422,800.

Delaware County’s rate was down four-tenths to 5.1%. The labor force was at 285,200, a drop of about 2,800, and the number of employed was down by 1,600 to 270,700.

For Montgomery and Chester, which are grouped with Bucks County, the service-providing sector saw the biggest increase over the month to 907,800, a rise of 3,600. The biggest drop was in leisure in hospitality, down 1,300 to 77,200.

Delaware County also saw its biggest rise in service-providing, up 1,700 to 203,200. Health care and social assistance was down by 300 to 42,900.

Berks County’s unemployment rate remained at 5.8% in October. The rate was the same as September after coming down six-tenths of a point from August.

Over the year, the county’s rate is down 1.4%. The high-water mark for Berks during the pandemic was 18.4% in April 2020.

The number of seasonally adjusted workers in September was 202,900 with 191,100 employed.

For September, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs was up 0.4%, or 700, to 166,200. Over the year, jobs are up 0.5%, or 900.

Changes among supersectors over the month were positive, Labor & Industry reported. There were no declines while job gains ranged between 100 and 600 per super sector. Over the year, employment rose in both goods-producing and service-providing industries.

Since October 2020, professional and business services are up by 400.

Reading’s unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, was 8.2%, down from 9.7% in August. The city had a labor force of 32,600, down by 200 over the month, and total employment of 29,900, up by 300.

Three suburban townships all saw drops over the month. Spring Township was down by a half-point to 4.1%, Exeter Township was down by almost a full point to 3.8%, while Muhlenberg Township was down by eighttenths to 4.9%.

Around the state

Among the state’s 67 counties, Chester’s rate was the lowest, while Montgomery was tied with Centre and Perry for fourth lowest.

Delaware was tied with Fulton and Columbia for 22nd and Berks was tied with Lycoming, McKean, Potter and Venango for 40th. Schuylkill County’s rate was 36th lowest at 5.7%, Fayette had the highest at 7.5%. The State College MSA was at 4%, the lowest among the state’s 18 metro areas.

The Lehigh Valley was at 5.6% and Lancaster was at 4.3%. Scranton had the highest rate at 7.1%.