Delaware jobless rate falls to 8.9%, above the national figure of 7%

Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August 2020 fell to  8.9%, down from 10.5% in July 2020.

The Delaware Department of Labor reported  44,500 unemployed Delawareans in August 2020 compared to 19,000 in August 2019. The US unemployment rate was 8.4 percent in August, down from 10.2 percent in July.  In August 2019, the US unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, while Delaware’s rate was 3.9 percent.

In August 2020, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was 426,800, up from 421,700 in July 2020. Since August 2019, Delaware’s total nonfarm jobs have decreased by a net loss of 41,300, a decline of 8.8 percent. Nationally, jobs during that period declined  to 7 percent.

Figures below the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show Delaware tied with Ohio in 39th place among the 50 states. 

The jobless rate is expected to be an issue in the upcoming gubernatorial campaign, with critics claiming the governor’s emergency order went too far and hurt the economy.