Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down again in May.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2% in May down from 4.3% in April. This is the lowest rate since just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 when it was 3.7%.
The national jobless rate last month was at 3.7%.
The area unemployment rates were higher for the most part. The only exceptions were Kent and Sussex counties. Dover, Wilmington, Newark, and New Castle County were all higher in May than April.
These unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Overall jobs numbers were also positive in May as the seasonally adjusted nonfarm numbers were up 2,000 from April.
Tom Dougherty is the chief of the Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information. He says those numbers have increased since May of last year.
"If you look at the net gain in jobs over the year we are up 14,700 jobs over the year, which is an increase of 3.1%, and we're actually in May where we're growing faster than the nation. As the nation has an increase of only 2.6% during that same time period," said Dougherty.
The Leisure & Hospitality sector helped those jobs numbers adding 800 jobs last month and 4,000 over the last year.
"If you break that down Leisure & Hospitality contains the industry of accommodation and food services which has restaurants, and that portion of it is really what's driving that number. So accommodation and food services is up 3100," said Dougherty.
Financial Activities is the other main driver for increasing jobs numbers in the state - adding 2,300 over the last year.
