Delaware could see a small decline in its jobless rate for December.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s, using an analytical method created by its researchers, sees unemployment rates for December decreasing from 4 percent to 3.9 percent in New Jersey and from 3.8 percent to 3.7 percent in Delaware. Pennsylvania’s 4.2 percent rate could remain unchanged.
The Philadelphia Fed’s figures are designed to bridge the time between the release of national jobless figures and state numbers. Delaware typically releases its prior month employment figures around the 20th.
During the month of December, the national unemployment rate increased from 3.7 percent to 3.9 percent.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 312,000 in December, well above earlier estimates.
Job gains occurred in health care, food services and drinking places, construction, manufacturing and retail trade.
The unemployment rates for adult men (3.6 percent) and African Americans (6.6 percent) increased in December. The jobless rates for adult women (3.5 percent), teenagers (12.5 percent), Whites (3.4 percent), Asians (3.3 percent), and Hispanics (4.4 percent) showed little or no change over the month.