County unemployment rate rises in December
By Staff Reports
Published in News on February 5, 2012 1:50 AM
Wayne County's unemployment rate increased in December, along with 92 other North Carolina counties, according to the latest data released by the Department of Commerce's Division of Economic Security.
Wayne County's rate in December was 8.7 percent, up from 8.4 percent in November. That percentage also represents a half percentage point rise since December 2010 when the rate was 8.2.
Wayne's figure remained the lowest in the area, however, as the rate jumped in five of the six contiguous counties as well, although Greene County's rate remained steady at 8.9, one of three counties statewide to see the rate remain the same from November to December.
Duplin County's rate increased to 9.4 percent from 9.2 percent in November while Johnston County's rate was 8.9, up from 8.7. Sampson County's rate increased to 8.6 from 8.3 percent. Wilson County's rate, the highest in the immediate area, was 12 percent, up two tenths of a percentage point from 11.8, while Lenoir County's rate jumped from November's 10 percent to 10.2 percent in December.
The state's total unemployment insurance benefits distributed from January 2011 to December 2011 was just more than $3.73 billion. Wayne County's share of that total was $31,006,311.