Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Looking for a job? Finding a good one in Pennsylvania may not be easy, a new report says. The Keystone state ranks among the worst in the country for jobs, according to WalletHub, a personal finance firm. Pennsylvania ranked 44th overall, with just North Carolina, Oregon, Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, and West Virginia getting worse marks. “There’s a lot going on in Pennsylvania, on the negative side,” said Chip Lupo, writer and analyst at WalletHub. Pennsylvania’s low job security and weak employee protections relative to other states contributed to its ranking as one of the least attractive places to be employed, said Lupo. The report considered employee protections such as state-mandated paid sick leave, equal pay, and protections for pregnant or breastfeeding people. Pennsylvania has high income tax burdens for low- and middle-income earners as well, said Lupo. It also has no state tax credit on earned income, though a bill currently making its way through the state Senate could change that. The report examined each state’s job market and economic environment using 34 metrics based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indeed, and other sources. The rankings considered unemployment, job growth, worker protections, median annual income, commute times, and the share of workers living in poverty, among other metrics. » READ MORE: Pa. workers have lost leverage in Trump’s economy, report says Pennsylvania’s job market took a dive in the rankings, coming in at 29th this year compared to 10th last year, in part due to unemployment and underemployment rates. The Inquirer has reported that the state’s unemployment rate has been below the national average recently, although it has inched up since Sept. 2024. Lupo noted that underemployment in Pennsylvania is at 6.6%, and the two metrics together reflect “ongoing challenges in job retention and the effective absorption of the labor force.” Pennsylvania’s economic environment came in at 48th, down from 45th last year. Pennsylvania does have some upsides for job seekers. The state ranks favorably for the proportion of employees who are on private health insurance, Lupo noted. » READ MORE: Here’s how Philly-area college grads are navigating a tough job market Pennsylvania also has a low percentage of discouraged workers — people without jobs who are not included in unemployment count because they are not actively seeking jobs. The state also earned points in Wallet Hub’s report for its shared-work program, which allows Pennsylvania employers that experience a business slowdown to reduce employees’ hours and avoid laying them off.
