Philadelphia Research and Policy

Anchored by the city of Philadelphia, Southeastern Pennsylvania—spanning Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties—accounts for 40% of Pennsylvania’s economy. Yet, despite the region’s extensive economic assets and talent pool, Southeastern Pennsylvania lags behind its peers in critical measures of economic growth and mobility.

To address these issues, a coalition of business, higher education, nonprofit, and civic leaders formed the Southeastern Pennsylvania Economic Collaborative in 2023—with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Brookings Institution—to help improve regional competitiveness, increase the number of high-quality jobs, and expand access to economic opportunity.

This diverse coalition is designing and implementing a growth strategy that uses data and analysis to help leaders better understand the region’s economic opportunities and challenges, the job sectors that are growing or have the most potential for growth, and the workforce skills and credentials necessary for those sectors to thrive.