Market data
Employment law in Pennsylvania: market data
What public records say about the market for employment law in Pennsylvania: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EEOC charges alleging age discrimination | 909 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-age · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| EEOC charges of discrimination (all bases) | 4,732 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-all · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| EEOC charges alleging disability discrimination | 2,121 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-disability · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| EEOC charges alleging race discrimination | 1,456 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-race · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| EEOC charges alleging retaliation | 2,945 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-retaliation · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| EEOC charges alleging sex discrimination | 1,421 charges, fiscal year | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | eeoc-charges v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005 record eeoc-pa-sex · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Back wages WHD found owed, ten fiscal years | 118,822,930 US dollars | FY2016-FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | wage-enforcement v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744226 record wage-enforcement:PA · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Wage and Hour Division cases concluded | 327 cases | FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | wage-enforcement v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744226 record wage-enforcement:PA · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Wage and Hour Division cases, ten fiscal years | 5,583 cases | FY2016-FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | wage-enforcement v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744226 record wage-enforcement:PA · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employees owed back wages, ten fiscal years | 86,669 employees | FY2016-FY2025 | Pennsylvania state | wage-enforcement v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744226 record wage-enforcement:PA · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal civil filings: private civil rights (includes employment) | 1,711 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-pae-priv-civil-rights · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil filings: private labor (wage and hour, ERISA, family leave) | 322 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-pae-priv-labor · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: employment and wage claims | 3,475 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-pae-employment · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: labor relations and employee benefits | 631 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-pae-labor-benefits · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil filings: private civil rights (includes employment) | 644 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Middle District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-pam-priv-civil-rights · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil filings: private labor (wage and hour, ERISA, family leave) | 77 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Middle District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-pam-priv-labor · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: employment and wage claims | 890 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Middle District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-pam-employment · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: labor relations and employee benefits | 79 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Middle District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-pam-labor-benefits · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil filings: private civil rights (includes employment) | 1,000 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Western District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-paw-priv-civil-rights · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil filings: private labor (wage and hour, ERISA, family leave) | 141 cases filed, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Western District of Pennsylvania federal district | civil-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009 record cf-paw-priv-labor · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: employment and wage claims | 1,259 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Western District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-paw-employment · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: labor relations and employee benefits | 259 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Western District of Pennsylvania federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-paw-labor-benefits · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEOC charges of discrimination (all bases) Pennsylvania · record eeoc-pa-all | 4,835 FY2024 | 4,732 FY2025 | falling (-2.1%) |
| Wage and Hour Division cases concluded Pennsylvania · record wage-enforcement:PA | 399 FY2024 | 327 FY2025 | falling (-18%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 2,069 lawyers a year | 2025 | Pennsylvania state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record pa-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 2 counties | 2026-Q1 | Pennsylvania state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 1 counties | 2026-Q1 | Pennsylvania state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 0.5 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Pennsylvania state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 4,912 firms | 2022 | Pennsylvania state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-pa-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 11,945,457,000 US dollars | 2022 | Pennsylvania state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-pa-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 4.32 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Pennsylvania state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 9,749 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Pennsylvania state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 5,642 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Pennsylvania state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-42 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 27,170 jobs | May 2025 | Pennsylvania state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:PA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 157,180 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Pennsylvania state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:PA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in Pennsylvania with the most wage and hour division cases concluded, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, PA | 4 record wage-enforcement:42001 | 16 record law-offices-42001 | 0.25 |
| Beaver County, PA | 8 record wage-enforcement:42007 | 33 record law-offices-42007 | 0.24 |
| Washington County, PA | 12 record wage-enforcement:42125 | 58 record law-offices-42125 | 0.21 |
| Fayette County, PA | 8 record wage-enforcement:42051 | 38 record law-offices-42051 | 0.21 |
| Cambria County, PA | 7 record wage-enforcement:42021 | 44 record law-offices-42021 | 0.16 |
| Mercer County, PA | 5 record wage-enforcement:42085 | 31 record law-offices-42085 | 0.16 |
| Butler County, PA | 9 record wage-enforcement:42019 | 59 record law-offices-42019 | 0.15 |
| Erie County, PA | 9 record wage-enforcement:42049 | 59 record law-offices-42049 | 0.15 |
| Luzerne County, PA | 16 record wage-enforcement:42079 | 115 record law-offices-42079 | 0.14 |
| Lawrence County, PA | 4 record wage-enforcement:42073 | 28 record law-offices-42073 | 0.14 |
Wage and Hour Division cases concluded (wage-enforcement v1.0.0, FY2025) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = wage-enforcement.whd_cases / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) | 1,208 ±446 lawyers | 2020-2024 | Pennsylvania state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:PA:lawyers-spanish · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer | 240 ±88.7 people per lawyer | 2020-2024 | Pennsylvania state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:PA:lep-per-spanish-lawyer · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 289,487 ±5,956 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Pennsylvania state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:PA:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 289,487 ±6,071 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Pennsylvania state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-pa · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Pennsylvania have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | None. A lawyer may communicate information about the lawyer's services through any media (7.2(a)). Rules 7.4 and 7.7 were deleted October 15, 2024. The rules have no ad filing, review or fee. official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Any communication must include the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or law firm (7.2(k)). Ads and written communications disclose the city or town (county if outside a city or town) of the office where the lawyers doing the work… official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | No day count. The rules allow targeted direct mail (7.3(c)) and ban live person-to-person contact for pay except with lawyers or people with a family, close personal or prior professional relationship (7.3(b)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A communication may not be false or misleading (7.1). The comment says reported results can mislead if they suggest the same result for other clients, and that a disclaimer may help (7.1, comment 3). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not compensate, give or promise anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer's services, except reasonable advertising costs, usual charges of a lawyer referral service or legal service plan, and paying for a law practice under Rule… official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | Recording a call is lawful where all parties to the communication have given prior consent. official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | As amended by Act 47 of 2026, a telephone solicitation includes calls, voicemail, ringless voicemail and texts, and contacting a subscriber who has said to stop is prohibited; a reply such as "stop" to a text counts. official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Pennsylvania: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee with no proportion or joint-responsibility test, as long as the client is advised of the participation of all the lawyers and the total fee is not illegal or clearly excessive. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: labor and employment legal services | 151 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110A:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
What is missing
Datasets linked to this practice that have no figure here, and values the source withholds. We never fill these in.
- findings (demand): the dataset has no records for Pennsylvania (it covers other places)
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); Federal civil filings by nature of suit and district, 12-month periods since 2018 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23720009); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Employment discrimination charges to the EEOC, by state and basis, FY 2009 to FY 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733005); How long federal civil cases take: outcomes, class actions and pro se share by district, nature of suit and year v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); Wage-and-hour and OSHA enforcement by county, state, act and industry (U.S. Department of Labor) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744226); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/pennsylvania/employment-law/
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How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.