Rowan's unemployment dips to 11.7 percent

By Shelley Smith

ssmith@salisburypost.com

Rowan County’s unemployment rate dropped in June to 11.7 percent, down from May’s 11.9 percent rate, but local Employment Security Commission and JobLink Manager Debbie Davis said the drop wasn’t necessarily a trend.

Davis said that with 45 counties in North Carolina going down, and with 45 counties going up, the economy is still unstable.

“We may see a bit of a roller coaster here for a while,” she said.

Davis said June’s figures were an improvement in Rowan County, showing that fewer people are out of work and employed, but the Rowan County ESC still saw close to 5,000 people each week looking for some sort of assistance.

“It’s an improvement, but it’s still high,” she said of the rate.

In May, the Rowan County ESC paid $3.7 million in unemployment, and in June, $2.7 million. Davis said the benefit extension that was just passed hasn’t made its way to Rowan quite yet.

“We probably won’t be paying out an additional amount in July,” she said. “I think the amount we pay may go back up over the next month or so because of them moving the deadlines on the extensions.”

Davis added that her office has a lot of people who have already drawn all of their Emergency Compensation 2008 tiers, “so what was just voted in would not help them,” she said.

Surrounding counties saw mixed changes in June’s unemployment rate.

Davie County saw a decrease from 10.4 percent in May to 10.2 percent, and Iredell County saw a decrease from 11.8 percent in May to 11.6 percent for June.

North Carolina’s rate fell as well, from 10.4 percent in May to 10 percent in June.

Cabarrus County’s unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a point from 10.7 percent to 10.8 percent, while Stanly and Davidson counties saw no change.

“We’re still offering job opening information to people, training, and helping people with their unemployment,” Davis said.