Delaware’s Workforce: A Case For Concern

By: Jane Brady, Chair, A Better Delaware

Many Delaware citizens believe our economy is doing just fine. Not great, but not so bad. The truth is concerning.

We have discussed the economic and regulatory issues that affect the establishment and growth of businesses in Delaware. But there is another, significant force that affects Delaware businesses – people. More specifically workers.

We all have heard about an unemployment rate. It is the percentage of people who would like to work but cannot, or have not, found a job.  In Delaware, our unemployment rate is, and has consistently been, higher than the national average. But it is important to remember – that rate represents real people. 19,500 real people in Delaware, according to our state’s Department of Labor in November 2024.

Why might they not be able to find work, despite looking? Maybe they are not prepared for the workforce.  According to a report commissioned by Delaware Workforce Development Board, “half of civilian workers required over one year of preparation time to perform their jobs in 2022.” That includes not just job training, but basic education in Math and English as well. Delaware actually has a program to teach young adults basic skills to pass the test to become an apprentice to the trades.  As long as we continue to graduate students who cannot get a job because they cannot do the job, we are doing them and our community no favors.

If you think that does not matter, you would be wrong. It discourages those high school graduates from continuing to try to get work. Proof of that is in the percentage of high school graduates who are not even looking for work anymore, higher, by percentage, than any other segment by education level.  Remarkably, 54,000 25–54-year-old high school graduates in Delaware are eligible to, but do not participate in the workforce.  The report referenced earlier identified those individuals as “candidates for training” to make them capable of earning sufficient wages to sustain themselves.

Meanwhile, their lives are stagnant. They are not developing new skills, making contributions to our economy, finding the personal satisfaction that comes from doing a good job, making a contribution to their company and community.  That stagnation carries into the workforce itself. Incredibly, Delawareans work 102 hours per year less than the national average. Right at the bottom.

We need to energize our workforce, excite our workers and create a vibrant, growing business environment.  We have said it before, but the numbers and reports prove it – it all starts with our schools.  High school graduates need basic skills in order to feel and be valued, and to be a contributing part of a workforce.

We should recruit new businesses to Delaware, with better paying jobs that give aspiring workers visible benefits and incentives to pursue further education and job training programs in order to take advantage of those job opportunities.

We should encourage programs between schools and businesses to develop interest in specific industries, offer internships to develop skills that will make the students employable after graduation.

There are young graduates out there who are discouraged, unskilled and unmotivated. There is no question there is talent in those numbers cited above, and it is wasted if it is not cultivated.

Let us all – teachers, employers, entrepreneurs, and our elected officials – resolve to end the stagnation in our workforce and generate the excitement that comes with knowing you are valued, valuable and contributing – to family, community and our economy.

Jane Brady serves as Chair of A Better Delaware. She previously served as Attorney General of Delaware and as a Judge of the Delaware Superior Court.