Jobless rates up across state
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on August 3, 2011 1:46 PM
A report from the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina says government employee layoffs are the root cause of increased unemployment in the vast majority of the state's counties, as June data reveals the unemployment rates rose in 91 of 100 counties.
Forty-six counties showed rates that were at or below the state's unadjusted unemployment rate of 10.4 percent and unemployment rates increased in all 14 N.C. metropolitan statistical areas as well, including the Raleigh, Charlotte and Goldsboro metropolitan areas. The state's rate represented a 0.7 percent increase from May's 9.7 percent.
The rate in Wayne County jumped by half a percent from May to June, from 8.5 percent to 9 percent, though the rate is still two-tenths less than in June 2010 when the rate was 9.2 percent.
Surrounding counties also saw increases. Wilson County's rate increased from 12.9 to 13.2 percent, the rate in Lenoir County rose from 10.4 to 11.2 percent, and Greene County's rate went from 9.7 to 11 percent.
Johnston County saw an increase from 8.9 to 9.7 percent while Duplin County's May mark of 8.3 rose to 9 percent in June. Sampson County's rate is the lowest in the area at 8.6 percent, though that is an increase from its rate of 8.2 in May.
Rates decreased in six N.C. counties (Tyrrell, Pamlico, Dare, Craven, Hyde and Currituck) and remained the same in three (Davie, Graham and Person). The lowest unemployment rate in the state is in Currituck County, which notched a 5.5 percent rate during June while Scotland County, at 17.1 percent, is the highest.