WILMINGTON — Delaware’s unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged for February, but the data indicates that could be because there are more people dropping out of the workforce.
Delaware labor officials reported 488,000 people at work in February, 500 people less than the adjusted numbers shown for January. In terms of unemployed people, the state recorded 18,500 people, or 200 more from the previous month.
Delaware’s labor force stood at 506,500 people in February — or 300 people less than the month before. That number captures those who are working, those who are receiving benefits and those who are seeking work.
As workers stop seeking jobs for a variety of reasons, ranging from retirement to child care needs, they are no longer being counted as unemployed in the state.
The unemployment rate for Delaware in February was 3.6%, the same as it had been in January. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose by 10 basis points to 4.1%. So far this year, the First State has stayed under the national unemployment rate.
In addition, there was little change across the United States, as Florida was the only state that had a unemployment rate change by 10 basis points. There are 18 states that had unemployment rates lower than the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Delaware is tied with Georgia and Florida for 19th place in lowest unemployment rates. Neighboring state Maryland has an unemployment rate of 3%. Pennsylvania and New Jersey both rank higher, with Pennsylvania at 3.8% and New Jersey at 4.6%
Delaware’s three counties saw differing rates of unemployment in January with the adjustment from state officials. New Castle saw a slight increase, with it now at 3.9%. Kent is at 4.4% and Sussex is at 4.4%. Those statistics aren’t seasonally adjusted.
Wilmington and Dover, the state’s two most populous cities, have seen movement on its unemployment rate, though both have seen a greater impact in job losses. Wilmington’s jobless rate dropped to 5.4% while Dover landed at 4.9%.
Leading job gains in February was private education and health and business services, each adding 500 jobs. That was followed by construction at 300 jobs, manufacturing at 200, information services at 200, leisure and hospitality at 200, and government at 200.
Job losses in that same period were led by trade and transportation at 100 jobs.
With tens of thousands of U.S. civil service employees laid off or fired since the end of January, labor officials report that Delaware has not seen any notable impact as of the February report. There are 6,700 federal employees in Delaware, a miniscule fraction of the 3 million people the U.S. government employs.
Delaware labor officials report that 100 jobs in the federal government were lost in February, though this number captures payroll and unemployment claims on the 12th day of the month.
The March labor report is expected to come out on April 21.
