What does this measure?

The proportion of workers who came into or left a region for work during the year.

Why is this important?

The flow of commuters into and out of a region is an indicator of its economic vitality and ability to draw in employers and employees from surrounding areas. It also may reflect transportation options available to workers in a county and the match between the skills of the residents and the local jobs available.

How is our county performing?

In 2017, 44% of Berks County residents commuted outside the county for work, up 9 percentage points since 2002. This was a smaller proportion of residents than in neighboring Chester (57%), Lebanon (63%), Lehigh (49%), Montgomery (53%) and Schuylkill (57%) counties, but larger than Lancaster County (34%). Also in 2017, 38% of people who worked in Berks County had traveled there from another county, an increase of 5 percentage points since 2002. This was a smaller percentage than every neighboring county except Lancaster (32%).

In the City of Reading, 85% of residents commuted outside the city for work in 2017, a rise of 8 percentage points since 2002. Also in 2017, 80% of workers in the city had traveled there from elsewhere, which aside from a brief dip (to 77%) in 2005 and 2006, is essentially unchanged since 2002.

Notes about the data

This analysis is conducted for workers' primary jobs. Out-of-state residents are included. The percentage of workers leaving the county is calculated out of all residents who work. The percentage of workers entering the county is calculated out of all workers employed within the county. Data for this indicator are released annually in the third quarter.

There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.