Delaware’s jobless rate ranks 36th among 50 states and D.C.

The days when Delaware had among the lowest unemployment rates in the nation are a thing of the past.

In May, the state ranked 36  among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to preliminary figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Delaware posted a 4.7 percent rate, tied with California and Nevada. During and after the 2008-2009 recession,  the California and Nevada jobless rates were often a couple of percentage points higher than the figure for the First State.

Among neighboring states, New Jersey and Maryland posted lower rates than Delaware. However, Pennsylvania, with continuing budget woes and a slowdown in natural gas drilling, came in at 5 percent.

Delaware has faced its own budget woes and closed a $350 million shortfall with a combination of modest spending cuts and increases in real estate, tobacco, and alcoholic beverage taxes. The state has been hit by the loss of higher paying jobs from DuPont Co. and other corporate employers.

A couple of months ago, a Bloomberg ranking of states placed Delaware toward the bottom when it came to the performance of its economy in the new millenium. The states often were the locations of auto assembly plants.

Delaware lost its GM and Chrysler plants about eight  years ago and did not benefit from the upturn in an  industry that is only now showing signs of a slowdown.

Colorado, with a booming economy, a younger workforce and a boost from its growing marijuana industry, ranked first on the BLS list, with the oil-driven hotspot of North Dakota coming in at second.

However, Alaska, another oil-rich state, ranked at the bottom.

New England states had among the lowest rates, with New Hampshire tied for fourth, with Vermont at 7^th.