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Unemployment inches up again in First State

Delaware Public Media

Unemployment continues to go up in Delaware. 

The state’s unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percent in October to 3.7%, surpassing the national rate for the first time this year.

The national jobless rate for October was 3.6%.

It’s the fourth month in a row Delaware’s rate has risen since dropping to a 30-year low this summer. 

But Delaware’s Acting Chief of Labor Market Information Tom Dougherty says the increase is not much cause for concern. He points out last year’s average unemployment rate was 3.8%.

 

“So it’s still below that level, although it has been rising in the past few months and it may go up a little bit more in the coming months, but in general Delaware’s economy is pretty stable right now,” said Dougherty.  

But unpublished survey data shows the majority of Delaware’s unemployed are out of work because they lost their job, not because they’re moving on to other opportunities.

The data shows the number of Delawareans not working because they lost a job has gone up from 40% to 75% in the past year. 

There were about 17,900 unemployed people in Delaware overall last month—up 700 from the same time the year before.

 

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