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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Mid-Atlantic > News Release
News Release Information

26-549-PHI
Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Delaware — Third Quarter 2025

Employment increased in one of Delaware’s two largest counties from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Sussex County had an over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 0.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Among the two largest counties in Delaware, employment was higher in New Castle (303,800) in September 2025. Together, the two largest counties accounted for 83.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025

Both large Delaware counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) New Castle had the largest increase (+5.0 percent), and Sussex gained 4.5 percent.

Weekly wages in 1 of the 2 largest counties in Delaware were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages were $1,542 in New Castle and $1,076 in Sussex.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the one small county in Delaware, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) The wage level in Kent County, at $1,394, was below the national average.

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the two largest counties in Delaware, third quarter 2025
AreaEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)		EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands)		Percent change,
September
2024–25 (2)		National ranking
by percent change (3)		Third quarter
2025 ($)		National ranking
by level (3)		Percent change,
third quarter
2024–25 (2)		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,353.8155,767.70.1--1,459--4.7--

Delaware

46.7480.80.0--1,394174.813

New Castle

28.2303.8-0.32231,542645.074

Sussex

11.598.30.8681,0763454.5113

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Delaware, third quarter 2025
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment September 2025Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,353,804155,767,6911,459

Delaware

46,749480,7621,394

Kent

5,98070,4891,142

New Castle

28,191303,7821,542

Sussex

11,50698,2781,076

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2025
StateEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)		EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands)		Percent change,
September
2024–25		Third quarter
2025 ($)		National ranking
by level		Percent change,
third quarter
2024–25		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,353.8155,767.70.11,459--4.7--

Alabama

165.72,119.00.61,212363.638

Alaska

25.3342.4-0.11,455135.37

Arizona

228.43,215.4-0.21,360194.031

Arkansas

111.21,310.50.51,135493.833

California

1,986.718,281.70.31,81547.22

Colorado

252.92,886.4-0.61,57075.73

Connecticut

149.61,693.80.11,60463.833

Delaware

46.7480.80.01,394174.813

District of Columbia

51.5737.4-3.12,39315.73

Florida

892.19,818.1-0.21,342215.18

Georgia

397.24,874.50.41,349203.543

Hawaii

62.1640.10.11,342213.148

Idaho

103.7879.81.31,180444.911

Illinois

386.56,086.3-0.11,457124.323

Indiana

197.13,198.40.11,214354.323

Iowa

109.61,549.3-0.91,194393.638

Kansas

102.21,431.70.11,179453.833

Kentucky

160.71,995.4-0.41,176464.323

Louisiana

158.71,913.1-0.11,187423.346

Maine

67.4659.2-0.21,231335.010

Maryland

199.52,739.5-1.31,52693.833

Massachusetts

293.23,625.0-0.91,81834.813

Michigan

316.04,423.8-0.41,323254.518

Minnesota

214.32,958.60.21,438153.638

Mississippi

91.31,172.60.01,005514.715

Missouri

256.02,903.7-0.41,249314.421

Montana

64.6518.3-0.41,182435.18

Nebraska

78.61,021.8-0.11,190403.148

Nevada

109.51,581.01.41,314274.323

New Hampshire

67.3687.8-0.61,481115.56

New Jersey

334.94,301.00.41,55883.638

New Mexico

69.0876.40.31,190403.247

New York

720.89,808.40.41,75754.715

North Carolina

386.34,939.40.51,328234.227

North Dakota

36.7433.8-0.51,291292.850

Ohio

346.65,537.80.11,279303.444

Oklahoma

128.81,697.9-0.31,143484.518

Oregon

180.51,994.7-1.31,409164.227

Pennsylvania

397.26,066.30.21,383184.130

Rhode Island

48.8503.30.21,322264.715

South Carolina

190.82,312.30.71,198384.911

South Dakota

40.9462.90.11,146474.031

Tennessee

224.23,255.5-1.21,327245.73

Texas

854.914,062.30.71,444143.638

Utah

142.41,745.91.21,297283.833

Vermont

34.1307.2-0.71,243324.421

Virginia

324.04,142.40.71,504104.227

Washington

242.33,639.4-0.11,92327.71

West Virginia

62.1701.1-0.11,121503.444

Wisconsin

211.62,949.1-0.41,228344.518

Wyoming

31.7285.6-1.11,201372.051

Puerto Rico

52.8945.5-0.6687(3)2.7(3)

Virgin Islands

3.033.2-5.41,025(3)4.7(3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026