The number of employed people living in Berks County divided by the population of 16- to 64-year-olds.
A companion to the better-known unemployment rate, the employment-to-population ratio is an indicator of people's willingness and ability to find work. In a period of rapid economic growth, a larger share of the population (including teens, second earners in a family, and elders) will find a role in the workforce.
The employment-to-population ratio for Berks County was 77% in 2017, slightly higher than Pennsylvania, at 76%, and the nation, at 60%. Between 2000 and 2017, the county's ratio peaked at 80% in 2000 and dropped as low as 73% in 2009. As of 2017, Berks County's employment-to-population ratio was similar to neighboring Lehigh and Lebanon (both 78%), but lower than Montgomery (83%), Chester (81%) and Lancaster (80%). Schuylkill was lower, at 75%.
Over the 18-year period, several of the neighboring counties averaged higher employment-to-population ratios than Berks (77%), including Chester and Lancaster (both 81%), Lebanon and Montgomery (both 82%). The average ratio was similar to Berks in Lehigh (78%) and Schuylkill (76%).
For this indicator, people are counted where they live, not where they work. To calculate these rates, CGR used figures for the population from ages 16 to 64 not living in institutions (including jails, prisons, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and boarding schools) from the 2000 Census and American Community Survey. CGR interpolated the intervening years.
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| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 64% | 64% | 63% | 62% | 62% | 63% | 63% | 63% | 62% | 59% | 58% | 58% | 59% | 59% | 59% | 59% | 60% | 60% |
| Pennsylvania | 76% | 77% | 76% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 77% | 77% | 78% | 74% | 74% | 74% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 76% |
| Berks County | 80% | 79% | 78% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 77% | 77% | 77% | 73% | 75% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 78% | 77% |
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| Chester County | 82% | 82% | 82% | 81% | 81% | 81% | 82% | 82% | 83% | 78% | 78% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 80% | 81% | 81% |
| Lancaster County | 84% | 84% | 84% | 82% | 84% | 84% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 78% | 77% | 77% | 77% | 78% | 79% | 80% | 81% | 80% |
| Lebanon County | 84% | 85% | 85% | 84% | 86% | 86% | 87% | 86% | 86% | 82% | 78% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 78% |
| Lehigh County | 81% | 81% | 80% | 79% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 75% | 74% | 74% | 76% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 79% | 78% |
| Montgomery County | 85% | 85% | 84% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 84% | 84% | 85% | 79% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 81% | 82% | 83% | 83% |
| Schuylkill County | 75% | 75% | 75% | 74% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 80% | 80% | 77% | 73% | 73% | 74% | 74% | 75% | 76% | 75% | 75% |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 136,891,000 | 136,933,000 | 136,485,000 | 137,736,000 | 139,252,000 | 141,730,000 | 144,427,000 | 146,047,000 | 145,362,000 | 139,877,000 | 139,064,000 | 139,869,000 | 142,469,000 | 143,929,000 | 146,305,000 | 148,834,000 | 151,436,000 | 153,337,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,854,551 | 5,881,688 | 5,868,607 | 5,821,711 | 5,876,997 | 5,940,570 | 6,006,634 | 6,064,063 | 6,109,645 | 5,885,351 | 5,840,887 | 5,888,745 | 5,957,314 | 5,967,811 | 6,021,005 | 6,080,219 | 6,105,223 | 6,111,633 |
| Berks County | 187,690 | 187,597 | 186,317 | 181,673 | 185,424 | 189,015 | 192,567 | 194,447 | 195,467 | 186,095 | 191,914 | 193,585 | 195,561 | 196,271 | 199,415 | 202,014 | 202,663 | 202,309 |
| Berks County Regions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central | ||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| South | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| West | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reading city | ||||||||||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | 229,523 | 233,753 | 235,797 | 237,295 | 241,076 | 246,961 | 254,609 | 258,865 | 263,491 | 251,383 | 252,693 | 254,455 | 257,623 | 259,098 | 262,490 | 266,506 | 269,548 | 271,053 |
| Lancaster County | 244,446 | 246,660 | 250,063 | 247,222 | 254,205 | 257,802 | 257,754 | 260,379 | 262,878 | 250,126 | 247,920 | 247,727 | 251,655 | 254,188 | 260,021 | 264,626 | 268,337 | 269,590 |
| Lebanon County | 62,355 | 63,542 | 64,115 | 64,023 | 66,124 | 67,598 | 68,764 | 69,628 | 70,324 | 67,885 | 64,825 | 65,003 | 66,176 | 66,342 | 66,657 | 66,890 | 67,435 | 67,635 |
| Lehigh County | 157,140 | 158,719 | 157,815 | 158,147 | 159,594 | 162,363 | 166,251 | 168,063 | 168,895 | 162,952 | 160,908 | 163,972 | 167,357 | 168,957 | 171,963 | 175,869 | 178,969 | 179,294 |
| Montgomery County | 397,383 | 402,667 | 402,460 | 401,387 | 401,982 | 406,172 | 411,623 | 415,122 | 419,127 | 396,105 | 400,485 | 402,414 | 407,899 | 410,086 | 416,265 | 422,542 | 428,999 | 431,390 |
| Schuylkill County | 66,106 | 65,567 | 65,188 | 64,554 | 65,212 | 66,437 | 67,700 | 69,906 | 69,866 | 66,625 | 63,196 | 63,219 | 64,077 | 63,785 | 64,095 | 63,898 | 63,409 | 62,412 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate |  Maintaining |
| Change in Labor Force |  Decreasing |
| Employment to Population ratio | Maintaining |
| Change in Jobs by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Sector Share of Total Jobs | Not Applicable |
| Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Change in Average Salary Since 2000 |  Increasing |
| People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work | Increasing |
| Public Assistance | Maintaining |
| Spending for Local Governments | Maintaining |
| Spending for Counties | Maintaining |
| Spending for School Districts | Maintaining |
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