Delaware jobless rate rises to 6.3%

Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February wound up slightly above the national figure to  6.3 percent. The state’s jobless rate was 6.1 percent in January.

In January, the state’s jobless rate was slightly below the national rate.

The Delaware Department of Labor reported 31,000 unemployed Delawareans in February 2021 compared to 22,200 in February 2020.

Except for transportation and utilities, employment was down across the board.  The growth in that category may be due to an increase in distribution center activity in the state from Amazon and others.

The US unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in February 2021, down from 6.3 percent in January 2021. In February 2020, the nation’s unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, while Delaware’s rate was 4.5 percent.

In February 2021, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was 443,500, up from 443,300 in January 2021.

Since February 2020, Delaware’s total nonfarm jobs have decreased by  24,300, a decline of 5.3 percent. Nationally, jobs during that period declined 6 percent.

The decline in the number of jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic is greater than the 2009-2010 downturn, driven by the financial crisis.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report for February  (see below) showed Delaware ranking 31st in its jobless rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Delaware ranked 29th in January.

South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate, while Hawaii was the highest. South Dakota had few Covid-19 restrictions while Hawaii’s tourist industry was effectively shut down for months, with mandatory quarantines in place.

State employment figures are subject to adjustments since early data is based on surveys and estimates. Hard data that comes in later in the year from payroll information comes later in the year.