From Survey to Strategy

Issue 12.03

January 23, 2026

ADVERTISE WITH THE STATE CHAMBER

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DSCC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce voted on and approved the following new members to its Board of Directors and Board of Governors.

We are pleased to welcome to the Board of Directors:

The following business and community leaders were elected to the State Chamber’s Board of Governors:

Read the full announcement >

FROM SURVEY TO STRATEGY

Each year, the State Chamber’s annual member survey provides a clear picture of the challenges facing Delaware employers and helps guide our advocacy priorities. The 2025 survey was no exception, revealing a business community navigating persistent regulatory hurdles, rising operational costs, and a workforce landscape in transition.

The 2024 survey revealed that government mandates and regulations, education, quality of workforce, and the cost of doing business were the top four issues facing Delaware businesses. In 2025, those same issues remained top-of-mind, though their ranking shifted slightly. Government mandates and regulations once again led the list, followed by the cost of doing business, education, and quality of workforce. This consistent emphasis on regulatory challenges prompted us to take a deeper look at the permitting and regulatory landscape in Delaware. Read more >

FAST FACT: 49.6% of respondents in the Delaware State Chamber 2025 membership survey said that government mandates and regulations were the number one issue facing businesses in Delaware today. 55% said that state-level regulations were the most cumbersome process, followed by county level at 26%.

2026 COMPETITIVENESS BLUEBOOK

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It's back! The 2026 Competitiveness Bluebook is a free resource presenting a data-driven snapshot of Delaware’s economic health. This pocket-sized guide compares the state’s performance across over 60 critical metrics, drawing from trusted national and unbiased data sources. This year's version also includes an in-depth look at school capacities across the state.

By providing a clear, side-by-side comparison of how Delaware measures up against other states, we are hoping that publishing these yearly Bluebooks will serve as a continuous call to action to address the challenges that must be resolved to ensure long-term progress for the state.

View the digital version >

Request a FREE hard copy >

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Like the successes experienced by many of our Delaware State Chamber members, 2025 was a very good year! We started the year by delivering our first Delaware Competitiveness Bluebook, sold a record number of memberships, rebranded our workforce development and education nonprofit into the Delaware State Chamber Foundation, ended the year with a new legislative scorecard, and much more!

The Delaware Competitiveness Bluebook is a great tool for business leaders, policymakers, voters, and more. The charts and tables provide fair assessments of where we stand compared with other states. Our goal is to draw attention to where we are positioned on indicators that form the basis of our prosperity — both strengths and weaknesses. Our shortcomings, in some cases, become priorities for us when they align with our member survey results. Read more >

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