State’s unemployment rate up again for July

The state’s unemployment rate has increased again.

North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July increased to 9.6 percent. It was 9.4 percent for June.

July’s state rate is higher than the national unemployment rate for July, which was 8.3 percent.

North Carolina’s July 2012 unemployment rate is 1.1-percentage point less than it was a year ago.

“In July the private sector gained 16,000 jobs,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “When we focus on long-term growth, North Carolina has added more than 101,000 non-farm jobs since January 2010. There continues to be a strong focus and commitment by our workforce partners and our employment service offices across our state to recruit jobs and to put people back to work in North Carolina.”

Seasonally adjusted total non-farm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased by 1,800 to 3,956,700 in July.

The major industry with the largest over-the-month increase was leisure and hospitality services, which gained 5,900.

Preliminary average hourly earnings in North Carolina for manufacturing production workers increased 9 cents in July to $16.57, while average weekly hours decreased to 40.3. Average weekly earnings fell $6.26 from $674.03 to $667.77.

The number of initial claims filed in North Carolina for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits increased in July to 64,214. About $119 million was paid in regular UI benefits to 110,972 unemployed people across the state.

The average weekly benefit amount was $289.26, which does not include the $25 Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) payment from The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Since July 2011, total non-farm jobs gained 36,800 with the service-providing sector increasing by 35,200 and the goods producing sector by 1,600.

The largest over-the-year increase of major industries was in trade, transpor­tation and utilities at 12,600, followed by education and health services at 10,500, and professional and business services, 8,600.

The number of people employed (smoothed-seasonally adjusted) decreased by 13,733 to 4,202,281 from the previous month, but increased by 49,263 from the previous year. The state unemployment rate in July 2011 was 10.7 percent.

County unemployment rates are expected to be released on Friday.

 Brunswick County’s June unemployment rate was 10.9 percent, an increase from 10.3 percent in May.