Pa. lost population during first year of COVID pandemic

Population loss can impact state's finances

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Crowd of people at the street, city center

Airdate: Wednesday, May 2022

Pennsylvania’s population shrank by .20% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s according to analysis of U.S. Census data by the Pew Charitable Trusts for Pew’s Fiscal 50 Project.

Pennsylvania was one of 17 states that lost population from July 2020 to July 2021 according to the research.

Factors that may have had an impact on the population loss were COVID deaths, an aging population, a slow birth rate, fewer immigrants and people moving out of the state.

Meanwhile, the 2020 Census showed that more people were living in Pennsylvania during the decade of 2010 to 2020 than the previous ten-year period, but that .23% increase was one of the slowest growth rates in the country.

Population trends matter because they are tied to states’ economic fortunes and government finances.

With that in mind, Pennsylvania collected $6.5 billion in General Fund revenue last month — the most tax revenue ever collected in a one-month period.

Wednesday’s Smart Talk features a conversation about population trends with one of the researchers Joanna Biernacka-Lievestro.