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News Release Information

26-1352-PHI
Thursday, August 06, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Business Employment Dynamics in Delaware — Fourth Quarter 2025

From September 2025 to December 2025, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Delaware were 22,626, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 22,438, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment loss of 188 jobs in the private sector during the fourth quarter of 2025. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 3,612. (See chart 1.)

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job losses

In the fourth quarter of 2025, gross job losses represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment in both Delaware and the nation. (See chart 2.) Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. In Delaware, contracting establishments lost 17,725 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025, a decrease of 1,709 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 4,901 jobs, a decrease of 986 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job gains

In the fourth quarter of 2025, gross job gains represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment in Delaware; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.9 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. In Delaware, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 17,287 in the fourth quarter of 2025, an increase of 1,266 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 5,151 jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2025, a decrease of 537 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 5 of the 8 published industry sectors in Delaware in the fourth quarter of 2025. Professional and business services had the largest over-the-quarter net job decrease, with a loss of 1,984 jobs. This was the result of 5,897 gross job losses and 3,913 gross job gains. The retail trade industry had a net loss of 653 jobs. Education and health services showed a net gain of 1,484 jobs, the largest gain of any sector in the state.

For more information

The BED data series include gross job gains and gross job losses by industry subsector, for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size class. BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. Additional information is available online at the Business Employment Dynamics homepage and the Business Employment Dynamics Summary.

The Business Employment Dynamics for First Quarter 2026 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

The release of First Quarter 2026 Business Employment Dynamics data, scheduled for October 28, 2026, will incorporate annual revisions in accordance with standard procedures. The revisions will include the previous four quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data.


Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data are a product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Delaware, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains and losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Dec.
2024
Mar.
2025
June
2025
Sept.
2025
Dec.
2025
Dec.
2024
Mar.
2025
June
2025
Sept.
2025
Dec.
2025

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

24,96924,35124,68321,70922,4386.15.95.95.35.5

At expanding establishments

17,68818,28918,40316,02117,2874.34.44.43.94.2

At opening establishments

7,2816,0626,2805,6885,1511.81.51.51.41.3

Gross job losses

25,60521,98625,11025,32122,6266.35.36.16.15.5

At contracting establishments

19,19016,60518,88319,43417,7254.74.04.64.74.3

At closing establishments

6,4155,3816,2275,8874,9011.61.31.51.41.2

Net employment change (2)

-6362,365-427-3,612-188-0.20.6-0.2-0.80.0

Construction

Gross job gains

1,7611,8801,6031,4861,5557.27.66.46.16.3

At expanding establishments

1,2681,3321,2021,1631,2015.25.44.84.84.9

At opening establishments

4935484013233542.02.21.61.31.4

Gross job losses

1,5671,5711,6091,5911,6476.56.46.46.56.8

At contracting establishments

1,1331,1841,2521,2331,2404.74.85.05.05.1

At closing establishments

4343873573584071.81.61.41.51.7

Net employment change (2)

194309-6-105-920.71.20.0-0.4-0.5

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

9817438336606437.75.86.45.14.9

At expanding establishments

4635135064184683.64.03.93.23.6

At opening establishments

5182303272421754.11.82.51.91.3

Gross job losses

5798057657506204.66.25.85.84.8

At contracting establishments

4446405786003843.54.94.44.63.0

At closing establishments

1351651871502361.11.31.41.21.8

Net employment change (2)

402-6268-90233.1-0.40.6-0.70.1

Retail trade

Gross job gains

2,5043,1973,3422,6832,4604.96.36.55.24.9

At expanding establishments

2,0132,6622,7792,1652,0543.95.25.44.24.1

At opening establishments

4915355635184061.01.11.11.00.8

Gross job losses

3,7562,4343,7803,6443,1137.34.87.37.16.2

At contracting establishments

3,2262,0323,2272,8082,7896.34.06.25.55.6

At closing establishments

5304025538363241.00.81.11.60.6

Net employment change (2)

-1,252763-438-961-653-2.41.5-0.8-1.9-1.3

Financial activities

Gross job gains

1,9481,7971,6911,2301,4383.93.63.42.52.9

At expanding establishments

1,0941,3531,1519551,1342.22.72.31.92.3

At opening establishments

8544445402753041.70.91.10.60.6

Gross job losses

2,1961,3932,2601,7541,4774.42.84.63.63.0

At contracting establishments

1,0421,0311,4631,4811,2152.12.13.03.02.5

At closing establishments

1,1543627972732622.30.71.60.60.5

Net employment change (2)

-248404-569-524-39-0.50.8-1.2-1.1-0.1

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

3,9034,9965,2455,1053,9136.07.88.17.86.1

At expanding establishments

2,4483,2483,5703,6452,4163.85.15.55.63.8

At opening establishments

1,4551,7481,6751,4601,4972.22.72.62.22.3

Gross job losses

6,4743,6795,0114,7905,89710.05.77.77.49.2

At contracting establishments

4,8042,4433,6413,4914,4897.43.85.65.47.0

At closing establishments

1,6701,2361,3701,2991,4082.61.92.12.02.2

Net employment change (2)

-2,5711,317234315-1,984-4.02.10.40.4-3.1

Education and health services

Gross job gains

4,5303,9094,0003,1683,9895.34.54.63.64.5

At expanding establishments

3,4082,7763,1302,2853,2604.03.23.62.63.7

At opening establishments

1,1221,1338708837291.31.31.01.00.8

Gross job losses

3,0603,6102,8953,4662,5053.54.23.34.02.8

At contracting establishments

2,0842,3111,9142,3501,7022.42.72.22.71.9

At closing establishments

9761,2999811,1168031.11.51.11.30.9

Net employment change (2)

1,4702991,105-2981,4841.80.31.3-0.41.7

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

5,5304,6364,9814,8294,81910.38.69.39.29.3

At expanding establishments

3,9673,7603,8483,3523,7447.47.07.26.47.2

At opening establishments

1,5638761,1331,4771,0752.91.62.12.82.1

Gross job losses

4,9425,2805,1585,8694,7889.29.99.711.29.2

At contracting establishments

4,0324,1683,9784,7703,9567.57.87.59.17.6

At closing establishments

9101,1121,1801,0998321.72.12.22.11.6

Net employment change (2)

588-644-177-1,040311.1-1.3-0.4-2.00.1

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

9041,0198629676887.38.27.08.05.7

At expanding establishments

6447925547375465.26.44.56.14.5

At opening establishments

2602273082301422.11.82.51.91.2

Gross job losses

1,1329631,3388758479.27.810.97.27.0

At contracting establishments

9727531,1375595807.96.19.34.64.8

At closing establishments

1602102013162671.31.71.62.62.2

Net employment change (2)

-22856-47692-159-1.90.4-3.90.8-1.3

Footnotes:
(1) Includes unclassified sector not shown separately.
(2) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses.
(3) Except public administration.

Table 2. Private-sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Dec.
2024
Mar.
2025
June
2025
Sept.
2025
Dec.
2025
Dec.
2024
Mar.
2025
June
2025
Sept.
2025
Dec.
2025

United States(1)

5.95.65.75.65.95.75.46.05.75.5

Alabama

5.85.35.55.46.15.35.65.65.55.4

Alaska

10.310.09.97.511.89.58.110.310.09.3

Arizona

6.15.85.35.85.75.95.36.35.55.4

Arkansas

5.85.15.15.36.04.85.15.55.35.0

California

6.76.06.66.26.86.46.26.76.06.1

Colorado

6.26.26.46.56.26.56.87.16.56.4

Connecticut

5.55.65.85.35.55.55.35.85.95.5

Delaware

6.15.95.95.35.56.35.36.16.15.5

District of Columbia

5.04.85.74.65.25.55.85.95.95.0

Florida

6.05.85.75.95.96.25.55.86.05.7

Georgia

6.05.55.55.75.95.45.75.65.85.5

Hawaii

5.34.94.85.15.05.05.05.24.84.7

Idaho

8.27.37.76.78.16.87.37.27.66.3

Illinois

5.15.05.24.75.35.15.05.25.05.3

Indiana

5.55.45.05.15.55.15.25.65.15.1

Iowa

5.65.85.64.86.35.65.55.85.95.4

Kansas

5.95.55.45.85.75.25.46.35.85.3

Kentucky

5.35.25.05.35.25.54.85.45.65.0

Louisiana

6.25.65.55.96.05.55.66.36.05.9

Maine

7.07.47.26.26.87.16.37.47.07.0

Maryland

6.05.95.75.76.05.95.76.26.55.6

Massachusetts

5.35.05.55.35.45.55.15.85.95.6

Michigan

5.45.25.84.95.65.95.35.55.95.3

Minnesota

5.55.15.85.35.65.15.55.55.65.5

Mississippi

6.35.76.36.46.46.26.16.56.15.8

Missouri

5.75.45.55.66.15.35.26.15.95.5

Montana

8.48.07.77.08.47.87.58.37.97.4

Nebraska

5.65.25.45.55.75.55.35.55.85.2

Nevada

6.15.46.26.96.25.65.96.35.25.4

New Hampshire

6.36.56.35.66.25.96.16.76.85.7

New Jersey

6.05.65.85.35.75.55.45.55.85.3

New Mexico

6.15.95.95.86.15.95.86.06.26.0

New York

5.76.65.95.95.65.55.07.05.85.6

North Carolina

6.15.45.65.46.05.55.55.45.75.1

North Dakota

6.56.76.46.26.96.66.56.76.66.4

Ohio

5.45.25.35.15.35.14.95.45.35.0

Oklahoma

6.05.55.56.06.25.55.36.26.45.1

Oregon

6.25.86.45.76.06.66.26.56.76.0

Pennsylvania

5.25.04.95.05.14.84.75.25.24.7

Rhode Island

7.36.66.36.06.66.35.96.76.76.2

South Carolina

6.46.15.86.36.75.95.56.66.55.5

South Dakota

6.76.26.05.96.05.96.56.16.05.6

Tennessee

5.55.45.15.76.26.25.15.95.25.2

Texas

5.85.15.25.35.65.25.15.45.34.9

Utah

6.86.66.66.76.56.36.06.66.46.1

Vermont

6.76.96.96.66.96.76.87.57.87.0

Virginia

5.85.65.85.95.85.55.15.86.15.1

Washington

5.85.76.05.25.65.75.55.45.65.3

West Virginia

6.56.45.55.85.96.15.76.36.06.0

Wisconsin

5.35.05.34.95.65.24.95.55.65.1

Wyoming

8.98.18.37.79.08.38.78.98.48.0

Puerto Rico

4.36.37.05.44.45.45.46.15.75.2

Virgin Islands

5.25.415.07.19.110.87.69.58.47.2

Footnotes
(1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 06, 2026