Delaware unemployment rises unexpectedly
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Weak August numbers may be an anomaly or indicate an economic slowdown.
According to the unemployment report from the state Dept. of Labor, the Delaware unemployment rate was up in August to 4.9 percent, the first increase of more than one-tenth since 2009.
In addition, Delaware businesses reported a decrease of 2,500 total jobs, which is the biggest monthly decline since 2011.
So while unemployment increases and available jobs decrease, the labor department says they will continue to watch for lower job growth in the coming months in order to determine if there is a real economic slowdown.
The total number of Delawareans employed in Aug. 2015 is reported at 440,900, compared to July 2015 employment of 441,200.
Data from the report, which is not seasonally adjusted, shows Wilmington and Dover hold the highest unemployment rates at 7.6 and 7.4 percent respectively.
When broken down by county, Kent County’s unemployment rate is at 5.9 percent, Sussex is at 4.2 percent, while New Castle County’s rate is up from July to 5.1 percent.
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