The state's jobless rate dipped slightly in November to 10.8 percent, but remained in double digits for the 10th consecutive month, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported today.
The rate dropped despite the state losing another 8,800 jobs during November, including 4,800 in leisure and hospitality services and 3,900 in manufacturing.
There was a net gain of 1,900 jobs in the education and health-services sector and 800 in construction.
Another factor is that the commission reported 6,823 North Carolinians were no longer considered as unemployed during November. Some of that decline is likely related to people halting their pursuit of work.
Some economists have said that if the underemployed — those working in jobs below their skill level for the sake of earning a paycheck, the stay-at-home parent, the retiree and the discouraged — are factored into the jobless rate, it could be as much as 2.5 percentage points higher.
"Even though employment increased slightly over the month, we still need more job growth," said Moses Carey Jr., the chairman of the commission. "It's another month where we haven't experienced much change."
Since the recession began in December 2007, North Carolina has shed 248,900 jobs.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement