Unemployment rate declines|Beaufort County’s jobless rate changeslittle in several months

Published 9:28 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2009

By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor

Beaufort County’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percent from July to August, going from 11.6 percent in July to 11.3 percent in August, according to data from the N.C. Employment Security Commission.
In June, the county’s unemployment rate was 11. 4 percent. A year ago, the county’s jobless rate was 7.8 percent.
Jobless rates decreased from July to August in Martin and Washington counties, but Hyde County’s jobless rate increased from July to August, according to the ESC data.
Patrick Oswalt, director of the ESC office in Washington, believes Beaufort County’s jobless rate will remain at or near the 11.5 percent mark for several more months.
“I would think it would probably stay like that for the rest of the year,” he said Monday.
Although claims for unemployment benefits were higher than usual at the beginning of this year when compared to recent years, those claim levels are remaining steady, Oswalt noted.
Across the state, most of the 100 counties saw their unemployment rates decrease from July to August. The state’s jobless rate fell from 11.1 percent in July to 10.7 percent in August, a drop of 0.4 percent.
“Rates have decreased in many of these counties for various reasons, ” said ESC Chairman Moses Carey Jr. in a press release. “Most counties experienced some loss in the labor force. People moving away and looking for work in other areas, students returning to school or some people exhausting their benefits are reasons for such declines. This can have an impact on the unemployment rate.”
In August, Beaufort County’s work force totaled 21,113 people, with 18,733 on the job and 2,380 without jobs, according to ESC figures. In July, Beaufort County’s work force totaled 21,475 people, with 18,975 of them working and 2,500 unable to find work. In June, Beaufort County’s work force totaled 2,147 people, with 19,027 working and 2,447 without jobs.
As of Friday, Beaufort County residents had received $1,151,073 in unemployment-insurance benefits during the past 30 days. So far this year, residents have received $9,037,106 in benefits.
Total county employment (not-seasonally adjusted) decreased in August by 29,596 workers to 4,055,583. Not-seasonally adjusted unemployment decreased by 24,298 workers. The unemployment total in August was 485,723 workers, compared with 510,021 n July.
North Carolina had 45 counties which were at or below the state’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 10.7 percent in August. In August, Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 16.5 percent. In August, Currituck counties had the lowest jobless rate at 5.1 percent.
Not one of the 100 counties had a jobless rate at 5 percent or below for August. Thirty-seven counties had unemployment rates between 5 percent and 10 percent in August, with 63 counties experiencing jobless rates at or above 10 percent, according to ESC data.
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Area jobless rates and related information
Hyde County jobless rates
August: 5.6 percent
July: 5.5 percent
June: 6.2 percent
A year ago: 4.3 percent
Unemployment benefits paid in past 30 days: $29,294
Unemployment benefits paid year to date: $492,679
Martin County jobless rates
July: 11 percent
June: 11.2 percent
A year ago: 7,2 percent
Unemployment benefits paid in past 30 days: $516,572
Unemployment benefits paid year to date: $4,490,103
Washington County jobless rates
August: 11.9 percent
July: 12 percent
June: 12.1 percent
A year ago: 8.3 percent
Unemployment benefits paid in past 30 days: $481,339
Unemployment benefits paid year to date: $3,427,414
Source: N.C. Employment Security Commission