State unemployment rate decreases

The rate decrease comes weeks after July data revealed a similar decrease in the rate in Randolph County. Jobless rates in the Triad continued their descent in July, when another month of recovery brought relief for the area’s workforce.

The unemployment rate in Randolph County stood at 4.5% in July, down from 4.9% in June, according to information released by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The rate decreased 4.5% from a year ago, and unemployment rates statewide decreased in 99 of the state’s 100 counties in July, according to the report. All of the state’s 15 metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year and for the month.

The unemployment rate measures the percentage of employable people in the workforce who are over the age of 16 and who have either lost their jobs or have unsuccessfully sought jobs in the last month and are still actively seeking work.

In the surrounding area, Davidson County’s rate decreased to 4.3% in July, down from 4.6 in June. Rates in other surrounding counties were 5.4% in Guilford; 4.7% in Forsyth; 4.7% in Rowan; and 4.5% in Montgomery.

The July rate ranks as the 46th lowest in the state, leaving Randolph County — which is part of the High Point-Greensboro Metropolitan Statistical Area — among mid-level Tier 2 counties. The number of unemployed in Randolph County stands at 2,908 people. Randolph’s labor force now stands at 64,939.

North Carolina’s statewide, non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6% in July, which is down from 4.9% in June. It was a decrease of 4.7% over the year. The national unemployment rate in July fell to 5.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Staff writer Daniel Kennedy can be reached at 336-888-3578, or at kennedy@tvilletimes.com.