How many jobs were lost in Delaware last month?
Refreshed monthly
Delaware lost 800 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 32nd among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 708 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-800
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
32nd
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
Delaware’s job loss of 800 in September 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 800 gain in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Delaware gained jobs in 37 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the third-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in February 2022 (+3,400) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-1,700).
There were 800 fewer jobs in September 2026 in Delaware than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Delaware sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were retail trade, non-durable goods, and health care and social assistance. Retail trade added 300 jobs, more than the entire economy. Non-durable goods gained 200 jobs, while health care and social assistance added 200. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were accommodation and food services, state government, and private educational services. Accommodation and food services lost 400 jobs in September 2026, while state government lost 400 jobs and private educational services lost 400 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 200 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Delaware (September 2026)
How has Delaware's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Delaware lost an average of 25 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 650, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 1,500 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 1,300 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, Delaware lost an average of 25 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Delaware
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +200 | |
| 2. | +0 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
