According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Delaware’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.5% in March, down one-tenth of one percent from a month earlier.
Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February 2022 was 4.6%, down from 4.8% in January 2022. The First State’s jobless rate remains higher than the national figure of 3.6% in March.
The good news on the labor front has been tempered by rising inflation, with employers offering higher pay in an effort to attract employees.
Delaware’s unemployment rate ranks 41st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s a similar story in the region, with Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York all recording higher jobless rates than Delaware. Exceptions are Virginia, with a 3% rate, and New Jersey, with a 4.2% rate.
Interestingly enough, Delaware’s higher unemployment rate may be a competitive advantage in efforts to deal with a persistent labor shortage.
Recently, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership took note of a report from the financial website WalletHub that shows Delaware with a less severe labor shortage than other states.
| State | March 2022(P) rate | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 2.0 | 1 |
| Utah | 2.0 | 1 |
| Indiana | 2.2 | 3 |
| Montana | 2.3 | 4 |
| Kansas | 2.5 | 5 |
| Minnesota | 2.5 | 5 |
| New Hampshire | 2.5 | 5 |
| South Dakota | 2.5 | 5 |
| Idaho | 2.7 | 9 |
| Oklahoma | 2.7 | 9 |
| Vermont | 2.7 | 9 |
| Wisconsin | 2.8 | 12 |
| Alabama | 2.9 | 13 |
| North Dakota | 2.9 | 13 |
| Virginia | 3.0 | 15 |
| Arkansas | 3.1 | 16 |
| Georgia | 3.1 | 16 |
| Florida | 3.2 | 18 |
| Tennessee | 3.2 | 18 |
| Arizona | 3.3 | 20 |
| Iowa | 3.3 | 20 |
| Rhode Island | 3.4 | 22 |
| South Carolina | 3.4 | 22 |
| Wyoming | 3.4 | 22 |
| North Carolina | 3.5 | 25 |
| Maine | 3.6 | 26 |
| Missouri | 3.6 | 26 |
| Colorado | 3.7 | 28 |
| West Virginia | 3.7 | 28 |
| Oregon | 3.8 | 30 |
| Kentucky | 4.0 | 31 |
| Hawaii | 4.1 | 32 |
| Ohio | 4.1 | 32 |
| Louisiana | 4.2 | 34 |
| Mississippi | 4.2 | 34 |
| New Jersey | 4.2 | 34 |
| Washington | 4.2 | 34 |
| Massachusetts | 4.3 | 38 |
| Michigan | 4.4 | 39 |
| Texas | 4.4 | 39 |
| Delaware | 4.5 | 41 |
| Connecticut | 4.6 | 42 |
| Maryland | 4.6 | 42 |
| New York | 4.6 | 42 |
| Illinois | 4.7 | 45 |
| California | 4.9 | 46 |
| Pennsylvania | 4.9 | 46 |
| Alaska | 5.0 | 48 |
| Nevada | 5.0 | 48 |
| New Mexico | 5.3 | 50 |
| District of Columbia | 6.0 | 51 |
A previous version of this post incorrectly reported a 4.4% unemployment rate in Delaware.
