ROCKINGHAM — According to data from the North Carolina Department of Public Commerce, Scotland County has the highest unemployment rate in the state at 6.4%.
All of the most recent data, released on Wednesday, are from the month of June. Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 39 of North Carolina’s counties in July 2023, increased in 27, and remained unchanged in 34.
Scotland County has a labor force of 11,046, with 738 of those who are unemployed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines “unemployment” as those who do not have a job, but have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks.
Richmond County has the 17th highest unemployment rate in the state at 4.6%, a 0.2% increase from the month before. This is a decline from a 5.2% a year ago. There are 17,210 workers in the Richmond County labor force, and 807 of those are unemployed.
A cluster of counties in the northeastern part of the state — Edgecombe, Vance, Warren and Halifax — all have unemployment rate hovering around 5.5%. Robeson County has the sixth highest rate at the state at 5.2%.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in July by 23,199 to 5,099,279, while those unemployed increased by 291 to 189,200. Since July 2022, the number of workers employed statewide increased 98,709, while those unemployed decreased 14,075.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19, 2023 when the statewide unemployment rate for August 2023 will be released.