Watauga tied for lowest state jobless rate

By Scott Nicholson

Watauga County is tied for lowest in the state for unemployment, bucking a statewide trend of rising unemployment rates.

According to a Dec. 2 report from the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, the state labor force grew by 13,571 workers throughout the state’s 100 counties in October, but unemployment rates increased in 61 counties. The number of unemployed workers increased by 8,249.

Forty-five counties were at or below the state’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.7 percent, which increased from 6.6 percent in September and from 4.9 percent in January. Nationally, the jobless rate is around 6.5 percent.

Orange and Watauga counties had the state’s lowest unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent, in October. Scotland and Edgecombe counties had the highest unemployment rate, both at 11.6 percent.

In October, $119.2 million in unemployment benefits was paid to 123,207 people statewide, a $5 million increase over September.

The largest job growth was in Educational and Health Services, while the largest job losses were in other Services and Manufacturing. Despite a rise in unemployment rates, new job creation has essentially kept the state’s work force tally at around 4.1 million workers.