This is an 11.3 percent increase over the previous year when there were 2,353 licenses issued.
Pennsylvania suffered a surge of unemployment and business closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The average annual unemployment rate in the state more than doubled in 2020 to 9.1 percent. This was the highest annual unemployment rate in Pennsylvania since 2003.
Comparison of business licenses issued by County and Year
| County | Issued in 2020 | Issued in 2019 | Percentage change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 421 | 402 | 4.7% |
| Allegheny | 9,144 | 8,233 | 11.1% |
| Armstrong | 205 | 234 | -12.4% |
| Beaver | 662 | 683 | -3.1% |
| Bedford | 64 | 80 | -20% |
| Berks | 1,383 | 1,355 | 2.1% |
| Blair | 463 | 503 | -8% |
| Bradford | 167 | 158 | 5.7% |
| Bucks | 3,806 | 3,686 | 3.3% |
| Butler | 437 | 399 | 9.5% |
| Cambria | 381 | 371 | 2.7% |
| Cameron | 21 | 17 | 23.5% |
| Carbon | 302 | 297 | 1.7% |
| Centre | 725 | 717 | 1.1% |
| Chester | 3,508 | 3,413 | 2.8% |
| Clarion | 63 | 75 | -16% |
| Clearfield | 155 | 151 | 2.6% |
| Clinton | 139 | 154 | -9.7% |
| Columbia | 286 | 294 | -2.7% |
| Crawford | 281 | 349 | -19.5% |
| Cumberland | 1,644 | 1,684 | -2.4% |
| Dauphin | 2,335 | 2,145 | 8.9% |
| Delaware | 3,945 | 2,892 | 36.4% |
| Elk | 56 | 67 | -16.4% |
| Erie | 1,153 | 1,111 | 3.8% |
| Fayette | 400 | 380 | 5.3% |
| Forest | 21 | 11 | 90.9% |
| Franklin | 740 | 678 | 9.1% |
| Fulton | 29 | 25 | 16% |
| Greene | 98 | 112 | -12.5% |
| Huntingdon | 145 | 139 | 4.3% |
| Indiana | 142 | 128 | 10.9% |
| Jefferson | 194 | 198 | -2% |
| Juniata | 81 | 86 | -5.8% |
| Lackawanna | 1,076 | 1,060 | 1.5% |
| Lancaster | 1,832 | 1,773 | 3.3% |
| Lawrence | 443 | 382 | 16% |
| Lebanon | 199 | 190 | 4.7% |
| Lehigh | 2,618 | 2,353 | 11.3% |
| Luzerne | 1,080 | 895 | 20.7% |
| Lycoming | 455 | 449 | 1.3% |
| Mckean | 45 | 57 | -21.1% |
| Mercer | 406 | 397 | 2.3% |
| Mifflin | 180 | 165 | 9.1% |
| Monroe | 944 | 949 | -0.5% |
| Montgomery | 5,853 | 5,330 | 9.8% |
| Montour | 97 | 76 | 27.6% |
| Northampton | 1,324 | 1,194 | 10.9% |
| Northumberland | 236 | 261 | -9.6% |
| Perry | 155 | 152 | 2% |
| Philadelphia | 23,822 | 16,427 | 45% |
| Pike | 116 | 99 | 17.2% |
| Potter | 63 | 55 | 14.5% |
| Schuylkill | 457 | 489 | -6.5% |
| Snyder | 166 | 175 | -5.1% |
| Somerset | 137 | 166 | -17.5% |
| Sullivan | 16 | 8 | 100% |
| Susquehanna | 116 | 142 | -18.3% |
| Tioga | 110 | 97 | 13.4% |
| Union | 188 | 190 | -1.1% |
| Venango | 109 | 88 | 23.9% |
| Warren | 57 | 65 | -12.3% |
| Washington | 807 | 882 | -8.5% |
| Wayne | 232 | 201 | 15.4% |
| Westmoreland | 1,464 | 1,315 | 11.3% |
| Wyoming | 30 | 37 | -18.9% |
| York | 2,158 | 2,050 | 5.3% |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Kutztown Borough• Borough of Emmaus• Borough of Bangor• Borough of Macungie• Borough of South Bethlehem• Borough of Danville• Allentown• Borough of Nazareth• Wolf• New Tripoli• Borough of Coplay• Borough of Hellertown• Mertztown• Borough of Alburtis• Borough of Whitehall• Borough of Freemansburg• Borough Of Freeland• Borough Of East Greenville• Borough Of Myerstown• Breinigsville• Borough Of Brookhaven• Borough Of Quakertown• City of Philadelphia• Borough of Lehighton• Borough of Catasauqua• Borough of Lititz• Borough of Canonsburg• City of Easton• Borough of Bath• Trexlertown• Texas• Borough of Slatington• Laurys Station• Wescosville• Fullerton• Schnecksville• Borough of Fountain Hill• City of Pittsburgh• Martins Creek• Borough of New Holland• Borough of Walnutport• Borough of Coopersburg• Kempton
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