Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December rose to 5.3 percent, up slightly from 5.1 percent in November of last year.
The Delaware Department of Labor reported 25,200 unemployed Delawareans in December 2020 compared to 19,400 in December 2019.
The US unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in December 2020, unchanged from November 2020. In December 2019, the US unemployment rate was 3.6 percent while Delaware’s rate was 4 percent.
In December 2020, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was 429,500, up from 428,600 in November 2020.
Since December 2019, Delaware’s total nonfarm jobs have decreased by 36,300, a decline of 7.8 percent. Nationally, jobs during that period declined 6 percent. Despite the higher percentage of job losses, Delaware’s unemployment is markedly lower than the national figure.
Delaware had seen a steady decline in its jobless rate since the stay at home orders went into effect in late March.
However, a surge in coronavirus cases here and elsewhere led to restrictions on restaurants and bars.
According to economists, a pause in the Payroll Protection Program and other initiatives also took their toll later in the year. A new round of PPP applications has since been launched under recently passed federal legislation.
Skeptics believe the actual jobless rate is far higher than the current numbers, based on estimates later adjusted when payroll figures are recorded.
Those critics say the jobless rate also does not capture the so-called “gig economy” that consists of the shared ride (Uber-Lyft), food delivery workers, and others who are self-employed but may not qualify for unemployment benefits.
