Watching Workforce

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

July 21, 2025

The Delaware Department of Labor (DOL) produces several important data points of interest to all Delawareans, including business owners, managers, and employees. This data includes the size of the civilian workforce, the state unemployment rate, unemployment by location, employment by job sector or industry, earnings, and more.

For easy access to this and other DOL data, use your preferred search engine and look for the Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information within the Delaware Department of Labor. The charts, tables, and graphs are accessible and easy to understand.

That said, I found the current statewide unemployment figures puzzling. Delaware’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June stood at 4.0%, up slightly from 3.9% in April and 3.8% in May. Summer typically signals low unemployment, as the hospitality and agricultural sectors increase hiring for predictable, seasonal purposes. We do know that private-sector investments, both nationwide and in Delaware, have cooled due to the uncertainty surrounding changing U.S. tariff policies and positions. This could be a contributing factor to this slight increase in unemployment. It’s something to keep an eye on as we head deeper into the second half of 2025.

News You Can Use

We kickoff the week this morning with June results of the U.S. leading economic indicators, followed by remarks tomorrow morning from Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell. Wednesday morning reveals existing home sales for June, while on Thursday morning we’ll get a look at new home sales figures for June. We wrap up on Friday with June durable goods orders data.

This is a busy time for earnings calls, as a number of companies report on second quarter results. Verizon Communications, Cleveland-Cliffs, Crown Holdings, Zions Bancorp, and others start off today with calls. Coca-Cola, D.R. Horton, Equifax, General Motors, Haliburton, KeyCorp, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Phillip Morris International, Sherwin-Williams, Capital One Financial, Chubb, Texas Instruments, and others are scheduled for tomorrow. AT&T, Fiserv, Healthcare Services Group, Moody’s, Northern Trust, Alphabet, Tesla, CSX, T-Mobile, and United Rentals are among a very long list scheduled for Wednesday. ADT, American Airlines, Comcast, Valero Energy, Moelis, Sallie Mae, Centene, Phillips 66, and others round out this busy week.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

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