Employment rose in Delaware’s two large counties from December 2022 to December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall-Bovee noted that Sussex County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment at 3.3 percent. Employment also increased in New Castle County by 1.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Delaware, December 2023

County	Percent change, December 2023
Sussex	3.3
New Castle	1.8

National employment increased 1.5 percent over the year, with 318 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Hays, TX, had the largest increase in employment (+5.0 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-6.9 percent).

Between the two large counties in Delaware, employment was higher in New Castle County (304,400) in December 2023. Within New Castle County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment.  Together, the two large Delaware counties accounted for 83.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for Kent County, the one county in Delaware with employment below 75,000. Kent County had an average weekly wage of $1,118, below the national average of $1,435 in the fourth quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

The two large Delaware counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Sussex County wages increased 2.0 percent, and New Castle County wages increased 1.9 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Delaware, fourth quarter 2023

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2023
Sussex	2.0
New Castle	1.9

Nationwide, wages increased by 3.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Snohomish, WA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+18.6 percent). Merrimack, NH, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.2 percent).

Weekly wages in New Castle County ($1,505) were above the national average of $1,435 in the fourth quarter of 2023. New Castle ranked 68^th among the 360 largest counties. Average weekly wages in Sussex County ($1,081) ranked 324^th in the nation. (See map 1.)

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2023. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,699). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 275 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($842).