PennsylvaniaScorecard

Discover Pennsylvania's Competitive Position Relative to Other States

Pennsylvania unemployment rate has gone down to 3.8% for April 2019 from 4.2% in December 2018. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Pennsylvania ranked 34th nationally on its business tax climate. (Source: Tax Foundation 2019 Business Tax Climate Study.)

Pennsylvania’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 2.5% in 2018, with GDP growth of 1.9% estimated for 2019. (Source: Independent Fiscal Office.)

Pennsylvania’s home price index grew 5.0% in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Pennsylvania added an estimated 65,600 net payroll jobs in 2018, up from an average of 50,000 in the prior four years. (Source: Independent Fiscal Office.)

Pennsylvania’s wages and salaries grew 4.2% in 2018; and 3.8% so far in 2019.

The national unemployment rate in April 2019 was 3.6%, compared to 3.8% in Pennsylvania. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

PA’s state sales tax rate of 6% ranks 26th among the states in 2019, just above the median rate of 5.98%

The Independent Fiscal Office estimates Corporate Net Income Tax collections increased by 14.0% in the FY 2018-19, exceeding prior estimates by $318 million.

About the PA Scorecard

The Scorecard provides policymakers and the public with an objective, statistically-derived assessment of Pennsylvania’s business climate for attracting, growing, and nurturing private-sector economic activity. The Scorecard will provide an annual benchmark against other states and a historical record of performance.

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Objective Data

The Pennsylvania Scorecard provides an accessible central location of relevant and timely metrics that are primary inputs to economic development. These data are influenced by state public policy and provide a collective assessment of decisions and actions that impact Pennsylvania’s position relative to other states. The data were chosen based on the consistency and transparency of the methodology used in their collection, the trustworthiness of the source, and the absence of indices and weighting. The data display Pennsylvania’s absolute and relative position consistently over time. Please note that due to lags in collecting and publishing data, some metrics contain data from the current year while others may lag two to three years behind.

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