Delaware continues to see employment growth, lagging behind its neighbors in income growth.
The Philadelphia Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Tri-State Tracking index indicated that resident employment in Delaware was up seven-tenths of one percent in November, compared to four-tenths of one percent in Pennsylvania and a two-tenths of one percent drop in New Jersey.
When it came to gains in personal income in November, Delaware was up by 2.5 percent from the same period a year ago, but trailed New Jersey’s 3.4 percent rate and Pennsylvania’s 2.9 percent figure.
Another measurement of economic activity, building permits, showed Delaware with a rate that was higher than the national average. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania were below the national number.
Home price gains in Delaware and New Jersey were below the national average, with Pennsylvania slightly above average.
The lagging income performance is likely to spark debate about the quality of jobs being created in the state. Critics have claimed the jobs are coming from companies like Amazon, which pay well above minimum wage, but below average wage scales.
Delaware also has a higher percentage of transfer payments, such as public assistance and Social Security.
The Philadelphia Fed’s territory includes a portion of New Jersey, a large swatch of Pennsylvania outside the Pittsburgh area and the entire state of Delaware.
