How many jobs were added in Pennsylvania last month?
Refreshed monthly
Pennsylvania gained 9,000 jobs in May 2026, ranking it fifth among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 8,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+9K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
5th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 9,000 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Pennsylvania. Monthly job growth was down from the 12,400 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Pennsylvania gained jobs in 48 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 21st-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+54,500) while job growth was weakest in February 2026 (-20,500).
There were 9,000 more jobs in May 2026 in Pennsylvania than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Pennsylvania sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were health care and social assistance, state government, and accommodation and food services. Health care and social assistance added 5,000 jobs, more than the entire economy. State government gained 1,900 jobs, while accommodation and food services added 1,800. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 5,000 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Pennsylvania (May 2026)
How does Pennsylvania's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Pennsylvania gained an average of 1,900 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 3,900, and the lowest since 2024. The 2025 average ranks as 15th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 13,400 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 6,500 on average every month in 2023.
In 2025, Pennsylvania gained an average of 1,900 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 16 metro areas primarily in Pennsylvania during May 2026 ranged from a loss of 300 jobs in the Williamsport, PA area to a gain of 800 jobs in the Philadelphia, PA area metro area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Pennsylvania
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +800 | |
| 2. | +800 | |
| 3. | +800 | |
| 4. | +500 | |
| 5. | +400 | |
| 6. | +300 | |
| 7. | +200 | |
| 8. | +100 | |
| 9. | +100 | |
| 10. | +0 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
