South By North Strategies, Ltd.

September saw few changes in local employment conditions across North Carolina. Last month, 64 counties posted double-digit rates of unemployment; of these, 28 had unemployment rates of at least 12 percent.

In September, every part of the state wrestled with weak labor markets. Unemployment rates exceeded 10 percent in 64 counties, and in 28 counties, at least 12 percent of the labor force was jobless and actively seeking work. County unemployment rates ranged  from 5 percent in Currituck County to 16.5 percent in Scotland County.

Unemployment also remained at elevated levels in all 14 of the state’s metropolitan areas. Six metros posted double-digit unemployment rates. The Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir area had the highest unemployment rate (14.1 percent) followed by Rocky Mount (13.4 percent). The lowest metro unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in Durham-Chapel Hill.

Click to read South by North Strategies’ analysis of the latest employment report.