Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June 2020 fell to 12.5 percent, from 15.9 percent in May, the Delaware Department of Labor reported.
The number of unemployed in Delaware now stands at 61,000, more than three times the 18,200 reported in June 2019.
The nation’s unemployment rate was 11.1 percent in June 2020, down from 13.3 percent in May 2020. In June 2019, the US unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. Delaware’s rate for that month was also 3.7 percent.
In June 2020, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was 415,900, up from 395,300 in May 2020.
Since June 2019, Delaware’s total nonfarm jobs have decreased by 49,300, a decline of 10.5 percent. Nationally, jobs during that period declined 8.7 percent.
Job losses came in all categories, other than federal government, as shown in the accompanying chart.
The biggest losses came in education and health, down nearly 10,000 and leisure and hospitality, down 17,400.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the state Department of Labor has ended its past practice of commenting on employment trends that might lend some perspective the numbers.
Delaware Gov. John Carney has paused plans to move to Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, due to community spread of Covid-19.
Another uncertainty comes with jobs that companies retained, due to the Payroll Protection Program grant/loan effort.
Jobless rates are subject to adjustments, especially with the current spike in claims. Estimates are used to plug in unemployment numbers. Revisions come in later months when payroll figures come in to labor market officials.
Once that money runs out, a wave of layoffs could occur, economists have warned. Below are unemployment rates by state from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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State | Rate(p)
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United States (1) ..................| 11.1
|
Alabama .............................| 7.5
Arkansas ............................| 8.0
California ..........................| 14.9
Connecticut .........................| 9.8
Delaware ......................... 12.5
District of Columbia ................| 8.6
Georgia .............................| 7.6
Hawaii ..............................| 13.9
Idaho ...............................| 5.6
Illinois ............................| 14.6
Iowa ................................| 8.0
Kansas ..............................| 7.5
Kentucky ............................| 4.3
Louisiana ...........................| 9.7
Maine ...............................| 6.6
Maryland ............................| 8.0
Massachusetts .......................| 17.4
Michigan ............................| 14.8
Minnesota ...........................| 8.6
Mississippi .........................| 8.7
|
Missouri ............................| 7.9
Montana .............................| 7.1
Nebraska ............................| 6.7
Nevada ..............................| 15.0
New Jersey ..........................| 16.6
New Mexico ..........................| 8.3
New York ............................| 15.7
North Carolina ......................| 7.6
North Dakota ........................| 6.1
Oklahoma ............................| 6.6
|
Pennsylvania ........................| 13.0
South Carolina ......................| 8.7
South Dakota ........................| 7.2
Tennessee ...........................| 9.7
Texas ...............................| 8.6
Utah ................................| 5.1
Vermont .............................| 9.4
Virginia ............................| 8.4
Washington ..........................| 9.8
Wisconsin ...........................| 8.5
Wyoming .............................| 7.6
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(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
