Citywide employment has fully rebounded from the spring 2020 shutdown with 18,100 (2.4%) more jobs in October 2023 than in February 2020 and 5.5% more than five years ago. But there is a difference between the return of workers to payrolls and the return of full vitality to Center City.

There has been a steady rebound in traditional office employment sectors such as professional services, finance, and information services, as those jobs have surpassed 2019 levels. Still, office workers on West Market and JFK Boulevard are back at only 64%, while sectors like healthcare, retail and hospitality have on-site rates of 75%.

The report highlights what needs to be done to rebound from these challenges, while noting very encouraging signs of recovery, including increased average daily visits to Center City, increased SEPTA ridership and a steady return to office work. The report suggests that a central, strategic goal should be to accelerate the job growth and business formation rates in Philadelphia.

For more detail, download the 12-page report at- Lowering the Barriers to Full, Inclusive Recovery.

In The News

December 22, 2023 | More people are employed in Philly than in 2019 — but many are still not going into offices, The Philadelphia Inquirer