Modest Growth in Federal Employment Under Biden Gave Way to Sustained Cuts Under Trump

Federal employment increased modestly over the course of President Joe Biden's administration, lagging overall employment growth in the Philadelphia metro area by the end of his term. After 2025's aggressive cuts, the federal workforce was the same size as it was nearly five years ago, a period in which the region's total number of jobs rose by nearly 13%.

Data represent employment in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland. Data are current as of November 2025 and recent months are subject to revision.
Chart: John Duchneskie / StaffSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics - Current Employment Statistics