The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office Pennsylvania is currently projecting a continued increase in the labor force, but a decrease from previous years.
In 2023 and 2024, Pennsylvania saw a net labor force increase of 25,000 and 33,000 respectfully. But in 2025, that number fell to 16,000 and currently 7,000 is projected for 2026.
The age of those retiring and dying year over year has remained steady. The IFO credits the drop in the workforce to new federal immigration policies.
The current Pennsylvania workforce sits around 7.7 million people and the unemployment rate remains historically low at 4.2 percent.
