Wilmington’s job market showed renewed strength in April as the city’s unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, down from 3.7% in March, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The drop marks the lowest unemployment rate for the metro area since December 2024.
Nonfarm payrolls in Wilmington rose to 192,800 in April, an increase of 700 jobs from the previous month and 1,600 more than the same time last year. The gains reflect steady labor market growth despite broader economic uncertainty and elevated interest rates.
Y-O-Y: Despite a drop in April, Wilmington’s unemployment rate remains 0.3 percentage points higher than it was one year ago, echoing a national trend. The BLS reports that 286 of the 387 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. saw higher unemployment rates in April compared to a year earlier.
Bottom Line: Wilmington’s unemployment is almost a point below the national rate. However, the economy is a little looser than one year ago.
