Chester County's unemployment rate fell to 2.5% in July, making it the second-lowest rate among Pennsylvania's 67 counties.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry released the data on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The county's rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point from June and was down eight-tenths of a point from July 2025, the Daily Local reported. Chester County tied with Cumberland County for the second-lowest spot. The county with the lowest rate was not identified in the release.

The tight job market lines up with what homebuyers already know. Chester County homes went under contract in a median of six days in July, compared with 45 days nationally across REMAX-tracked markets, according to MyChesCo. The county's median sales price was $595,000, and just 1.9 months of inventory sat on the market versus 3.0 months nationally.

Statewide, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate hit 3.9% in July. That marked the first time the rate dipped below 4% since October 2024, according to Labor and Industry. The state rate also sat two-tenths of a point below the national rate of 4.1%, extending a streak to 34 consecutive months at or below the U.S. average.

Within the broader Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, the unemployment rate was 4.1% in July. That was down half a percentage point from July 2025.

The Department of Labor and Industry will release August statewide unemployment data on Sept. 18. County and municipal figures follow on Sept. 29.