Pennsylvania One of the Top Three States for Job Growth in 2025 Thanks to Shapiro Administration’s Efforts to Bring Economic Development to the Commonwealth

Harrisburg, PA –  Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced Pennsylvania was third in the nation for job growth in 2025 according to a new analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and has earned national recognition from Site Selection Magazine on economic growth. While nearly one-third of states saw a year of losses in 2025, from December 2024 to December 2025, Pennsylvania gained more than 76,000 jobs — a 1.2 percent increase year-over-year, compared to a 0.4 percent increase nationally.

“From day one, my Administration has been laser focused on making Pennsylvania a national leader on economic development. In the last 3 years, we’ve secured more private sector investments in the Commonwealth than in the last 15 years combined to create new jobs and foster real innovation in Pennsylvania,” said Governor Shapiro. “These rankings make clear that our strategy is working — and we’re not done.”

Within the year’s growth, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ranked as two of the top U.S. metro areas for new jobs — creating 36,400 and 13,000 jobs, respectively — while outpacing national trends in lagging construction and manufacturing.

The Governor also announced Pennsylvania’s new ranking as the ninth top-performing state and second in the Northeast overall in Site Selection Magazine’s 2025 Governor’s Cup, an annual ranking to recognize the top states in the nation based on new or expanded facilities.

With 257 total projects, the Commonwealth moved up one spot from last year, continuing to generate significant economic growth and job creation through the successful implementation of the Shapiro Administration’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy, led by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s BusinessPA team.

Governor Shapiro is Delivering Results for Pennsylvanians

In just three years under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania has attracted over $40.4 billion in private-sector investments that have created more than 22,400 good-paying jobs across the Commonwealth, and made Pennsylvania more competitive by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting, and transforming communities.

Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal builds on this momentum by investing in long-term economic growth and ensuring communities across the Commonwealth can compete and win with a $10 million increase in funding for the PA First Program and the creation of Innovate in PA 2.0 to support startups by deploying nearly $100 million into the state’s innovation economy.

Learn more about how the Shapiro Administration is leading on economic development to build a stronger, more competitive economy for all Pennsylvanians.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Press Office: ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

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