"Our state's unemployment rate has remained pretty steady over the past three months," said ESC Chairman Moses Carey. "And while a gain in employment is nice to see, this global recession continues to affect many citizens in our state."
The April numbers were the first time the overall unemployment rate in North Carolina has not gone up in a year. Looking back to last April when the rate was 5.7 percent, the rate has steadily marched upwards. The biggest increase came between November and February, when it went from 7.5 to 10.7.
North Carolina's rate is significantly higher than the national average of 8.9 percent.
Rural areas of the state are suffering more than population centers like Raleigh and Durham. In March, the rate in Orange, Durham and Wake hovered between 6 and 8 percent, while counties like Halifax and Scotland are seeing rates in the teens.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for May 29, when the county unemployment rates for the month of April will be released.
