Chris Burkhard, President of Placers Staffing, joined WDEL’s Peter MacArthur on August 7th to discuss major shifts in the job market, including the impact of AI, tariff uncertainty, and Delaware’s employment landscape.
The job market took a notable turn in July, with hiring significantly below expectations (73,000 vs 100,000 projected) and Q2 numbers revised down by over 250,000 jobs. This has created what Chris calls a “low hire, low fire economy”, steady weekly unemployment claims around 200,000, but a growing number of people staying unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (now over 2 million nationally).
“We’re not going to work the same our whole career. People are facing a stage where it’s important to rethink how they work. If your field has evolved, you might need help thinking about how those skills apply to new jobs and careers.” – Chris Burkhard
Key takeaway: Delaware created 2,000 new jobs in the first half of 2025, with healthcare and private education driving 65% of growth. While the state maintains a 4% unemployment rate (compared to 4.2% nationally), long-term success depends on small and mid-sized businesses continuing to flourish in Delaware.
Need career support? Contact us!