Unemployment in March in Sussex County Drops – Statewide Remains Steady

Unemployment in Delaware in March remained steady at 5.4%, however in Sussex County the unemployment rate dropped from 5.7% in February to 5.3% in March. Delaware labor officials the state’s labor force participation rate fell to a record low of 59.1% in March – with data going back to 1976. They attribute the decline to the size of Delaware’s population of residents age 65 or older who account for roughly 30% of the 16 and older civilian population. Delawareans aged 25 to 54 make up 86.3% of the labor force – which is over 2 points higher than the national average, however according to the 11-month average, in March these workers made up 41.8% of Delaware’s total 16 and older civilian population.

The highest over the year job increase from March of 2025 to March of 2026 was in the Private Education and Health sector followed by Government and Professional and Business Services. The largest over the year job decrease during that period was in the Leisure and Hospitality Sector followed by Manufacturing and Wholesale and Retail Trade.

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