Beaufort County’s unemployment rate fell from 11 percent in January to 10.7 percent in February, a drop of 0.3 percent, according to information released by the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

Unemployment rates fell from January to February in 93 of the state 100 counties, according to ESC data. In six counties, the jobless rates remained the same from January to February. From January to February, Perquimans County’s unemployment rate increased.

The state’s unemployment rate fell from 10.4 percent in January to 10.1 percent in February, a decline of 0.3 percent.

“We went down three-tenths of a percent. I see nothing unusual, nothing different,” said Patrick Oswalt, manager of the ESC office in Washington, when asked in a brief interview if he sees Beaufort County’s unemployment rate changing significantly in coming months.

“Unemployment-benefit claims are down and layoffs have leveled off, butt here are still a lot of people out there without jobs,” he said.

One factor in the jobless-rate drop from January to February would be some unemployed people exhausting their unemployment benefits, resulting in them being removed from list of the unemployed, Oswalt said.

“The unemployment rate declined in a majority of the counties in February, said ESC Chairman Lynn R. Holmes. “Gov. Perdue has made creating jobs her top priority. The work of our economic development partners in sustaining and growing jobs along with the efforts of our workforce development partners in helping get people back to work continues to be our top priorities.”

Beaufort County’s work force for February totaled 20,440 people, with 18,257 of them working, according to ESC data. That left 2,183 people unable to find work. Beaufort County’s work force in January totaled 20,301 people. Of that number, 18,071 were on the job, leaving 2,230 unable to secure employment, according to ESC information.

Hyde County’s work force for February was reported at 2,662 people, with 2,315 of them on the job, according to ESC data. That left 347 people who were unable to secure employment. Hyde County’s work force for January came to 2,611 people. Out of that work force, 2,271 people were working, leaving 340 people unable to find work.

The work force for February in Martin County totaled 11,082 people, with 9,860 members of that work force on the job, according to ESC figures.

That left 1,222 people who were unable to find work. The work force in Martin County totaled 11,012 people in January, with 9,765 of them employed, leaving 1,247 unable to find jobs.

Washington County’s work force for February totaled 6,842 people, with 6,051 of them working, according to ESC data.

That left 791 people unable to secure employment. In Washington County, the work force for January totaled 6,879 people, with 6,080 of that number on the job, leaving 799 people without work.

For February, no county had a jobless rate at 5 percent or below.

There were 33 counties with unemployment rates between 5 percent and 10 percent.

Sixty-seven counties had unemployment rates at 10 percent or higher, according to ESC figures.

Orange County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in February at 6.2 percent.

Swain County had the state’s highest unemployment rate in February at 18.1 percent.