Overall unemployment rate moved down to 6.7% with the biggest shift in Government, which gained 2,800 roles, based on the most recently available information published in September 2021.

Total employment in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD market declined by 13,276 jobs in August and the unemployment rate decreased compared to the prior month by 20 bps to 6.7%. The national unemployment rate decreased by 38 bps over the same time to 5.3%.

  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD unemployment rate is 141 bps above the national rate which is a negative sign.
  • Unemployment in the market is 390 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
  • Average wages (per hour) grew in August versus prior month by 3.4% and are up compared to last year at this time in the market.
Month over Month Unemployment Change
Year over Year Unemployment Change
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Unemployment August 2021

For key employment segments of the market, total jobs stayed flat. Key sectors include:

  • Education & Healthcare: 630,000; -200
  • Transportation & Utilities: 514,500; -1,500
  • Business Services: 464,800; +400
  • Government: 306,600; +2,800
  • Restaurants & Hotels: 235,000; -2,000
  • Financial Services: 219,400; +600
  • Manufacturing: 176,200; -500
  • Construction, Mining: 122,000; +1,300
  • Other Jobs: 107,100; -400
  • IT & Development: 53,300; +200
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Unemployment by Industry August 2021

Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through August 2021 (Data published September 2021 and reports created on September 29, 2021).  Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.

Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.