The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division has released preliminary unemployment data for June.
Lenoir County’s unemployment rate increased from 9.6 percent in May to 9.9 percent in June, but is lower than the 10.3 percent it was in June 2012.
Jones County also increased from 8.7 percent in May to 9.1 percent in June — nearly two points lower than the 11 percent it was a year earlier.
Greene County’s rate decreased from 10.7 percent in May to 10.4 percent in June — but still is the highest in the three counties. The rate was 10.3 percent in June 2012 — the same rate Lenoir had then.
Unemployment rates, not seasonally adjusted, increased in 81 of the 100 counties in June, decreased in 14 and remained the same in five. Forty counties had unemployment rates at or below the state’s not-seasonally-adjusted 9.3 percent rate — the rate in May was 8.9 percent. But North Carolina's labor force also shrank by almost 11,000 people from May to June.
When compared to the same month last year, not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates increased in 12 counties, fell in 85 and remained unchanged in three.
Larry Parker, spokesman for the Division, said people are typically seeking work in June.
“This is typically a time when the labor force is increased for the summer,” he said.
Some people get a job, while others don’t, but keep looking.
In Lenoir County, there were more people in the unemployed and employed categories, thereby increasing the labor force, Parker said.
“Jones and Greene counties really have small labor forces,” he said, “so a small shift can really have an impact on the rate.”
In Greene County, the numbers dropped from May to June last year, so people actually exited out of the labor force, Parker said.
Jones County, having an especially small population, may see large differences in the rate when the numbers shift due to seasonal fluctuations, he said.
Currituck County has the lowest unemployment in the state at 5.8 percent, while Scotland County ranks highest at 16.2 percent.
All 14 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount at 13.3 percent experienced the highest rate and Asheville at 7.1 percent had the lowest. A year earlier, one metro area experienced a rate increase, while 13 experienced rate decreases.
According to preliminary data for June, with No. 1 having the lowest unemployment, Greene County ranks 65, while Lenoir County ranks 55 and Jones County ranks 35. The revised ranking data for May includes Greene at 79, Lenoir at 54 and Jones at 28.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in June by 16,445 to 4,303,424, while those unemployed increased 16,163 to 439,793. Since June 2012, the number of workers employed statewide increased 11,966, while those unemployed decreased 26,257.
New regular initial claims, totaling 28,688 in June, decreased 543 from the preceding month. Industries, of which new claims were submitted, from highest number of claims, include business services, construction–special trade contractors, heavy construction other than building,eating and drinking places, and educational services.
Business services include a wide gamut of companies, such as consulting, research and financial firms.
“It covers so many sub-sectors,” Parker said. “It kind of ebbs and flows. … Every sector was really hit hard by the recession. It’s been a long haul to recover.”
In fact, lost jobs at the height of the recession totaled about 330,000, while just 200,000 jobs have been gained back, Parker said.
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 statewide unemployment rate release for July 2013 is scheduled for Aug. 19.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Local and statewide unemployment numbers
County June 2013 May 2013 June 2012 Labor Force Unemployed
Lenoir 9.9 9.6 10.3 29,432 2,920
Greene 10.4 10.7 10.3 9,925 1,029
Jones 9.1 8.7 11.0 4,423 403
Statewide 9.3 8.9 9.8 4,743,217 439,793
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division