Delaware unemployment rate up in February

Delaware’s unemployment rate for February is up three tenths of a percent over January’s rate.

Delaware’s unemployment rate for February was 9.2%, up from a revised 8.9% in January.

That percentage translates to 39,300 Delawareans unemployed last month.  The national unemployment rate now stands at 9.7%, unchanged from February.

Broken down locally, Wilmington maintains the state’s highest unemployment rate at 13%, down one tenth of a percent from January.  New Castle County’s unemployment rate is the lowest of all three Delaware counties at 9.5%, while Sussex County has the highest at 11.1%.  Kent County’s unemployment is at 10%.

The sectors adding more jobs over the last year include education and health, with more than 1,000 new jobs.  The highest job losses happened in wholesale and retail trade which lost 3,800. More than 3,500 construction jobs were lost, in addition to 3,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector.