N.C. jobless rates increase in 76 counties in May
Unemployment rates rose in 76 of North Carolina’s 100 counties
in May, fell in 21 and were unchanged in three.
When compared to the same month in 2011,
unemployment rates declined in 88 counties, increased in eight, and remained the same in
four.
“While rates were up in most counties for May, over the year, we see a positive
downward trend,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “Rates were down in
88 counties across North Carolina since May of last year. Our focus remains on growing jobs across
the state as several key job announcements have been made over the past several weeks. Our
employment service offices are committed to working with employers to get job seekers back to work
in North Carolina.”
North Carolina had 33 counties that were at or below the state’s not
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 9.4 percent.
Watauga County’s May rate of 8.2
percent saw a .1 percent decrease from the previous month.
Ashe County’s rate dropped .7 percent
for a May rate of 11.3 percent, while Avery County’s May rate of 11.4 percent saw a .4 percent
decrease from April.
Currituck County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in May at 5.2
percent, and Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 16.9 percent.
Unemployment
rates increased in 13 metropolitan statistical areas and declined in one.
The number of
workers employed (not seasonally adjusted) increased in May by 11,632 to 4,223,768, while those
unemployed rose 17,758 to 439,528.
Since May 2011, the number of workers unemployed
decreased 40,819, while those employed increased 35,027.
