By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
Rowan County’s jobless rate decreased slightly in April, but it remained above 12 percent.
Rowan County ranked eighth among the state’s 100 counties in the amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid out in April at $5,337,024.
Only Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Gaston, Forsyth, Catawba and Iredell counties received more in unemployment insurance benefits.
The Employment Security Commission reported Friday that the unemployment figures went down in 83 of North Carolina’s 100 counties last month.
Rowan’s jobless rate changed from 12.8 percent in March to 12.5 percent in April.
Of a total labor force of 72,583 in April, 9,084 Rowan Countians were receiving unemployment insurance benefits, the ESC reported.
Here were the April jobless rates reported in the counties touching Rowan County and how they changed from March:
– Cabarrus County ó 10.8 percent, down from 11.3 percent in March.
– Davidson County ó 12.7 percent, down from 13.4 percent.
– Davie County ó 11.4 percent, down from 11.8 percent.
– Iredell County ó 12.6 percent, down from 12.7 percent.
– Stanly County ó 11.6 percent, down from 12.4 percent.