RALEIGH: Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 95 of North Carolina’s counties in April including Cabarrus County. Unemployment rates increased in three counties, and remained unchanged in two, according to statistics released this week by the N.C. Department of Commerce.
The Cabarrus rate was 4.5 percent for April, down from 4.9 percent in March. The state lists the Cabarrus workforce at 99,225 people with 4,496 being unemployed in April. The April, 2015 rate for was 4.9 percent. The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metropolitan area had a rate of 4.8 percent in April. That is down from 5.1 percent. It’s also down from April, 2015 rate of 5.3 percent. Union County had the lowest rate in the area at 4.3 percent. Other area rates were: Iredell, 4.7; Stanly, 4.6; Rowan, 5.5; and Mecklenburg, 4.7.
Scotland County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 9.5 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.7 percent. Fourteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases and one remained unchanged. Among the Metro areas, Rocky Mount at 7.6 percent experienced the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 3.9 percent. The April not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 5.0 percent.
When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 94 counties, increased in two, and remained unchanged in four. All 15 metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in April by 170 to 4,614,275 while those unemployed decreased 18,743 to 243,285. Since April 2015, the number of workers employed statewide increased 106,280, while those unemployed decreased 16,928.
The N.C. Department of Commerce said it is important to note that employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates. The next unemployment update is scheduled for Friday, June 17, 2016 when the state unemployment rate for May 2016 will be released.
