North Carolina gained 13,900 nonfarm jobs in March while the state’s unemployment rate decreased to 9.7 percent, down .1 percent from February’s rate of 9.8 percent.
This is the third consecutive month of nonfarm jobs increasing.
“It is encouraging to see job growth in each of the first three months of this year,” said ESC Chairman Lynn R. Holmes. “We will continue to collaborate with our workforce partners in keeping with Gov. Perdue’s mission to grow jobs in North Carolina. Our offices statewide also remain committed to providing resources to those looking for work and those needing unemployment benefits.”
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased by 13,900 to 3,894,700 in March. The largest over-the-month employment increase occurred in professional and business services (+6,000). The largest decrease was in other services (-1,600) and manufacturing (-600). Over the year, nonfarm industry employment has increased by 36,500 jobs.
The number of people employed (seasonally adjusted) increased by 13,402 to 4,043,437. The number of people unemployed decreased by 1,949 workers, to 434,996.
Since this time last year, the number of people unemployed has decreased by 80,359 and the number of workers employed is down 3,038.
The state unemployment rate in March 2010 was 11.3 percent.
The North Carolina seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in March, a decrease of 0.1 of a percentage point from a revised 9.8 percent in February, and 1.6 percentage points lower than March 2010.
Over the month, the number of persons employed increased 13,402 (0.3 percent), as those unemployed declined by 1,949 (0.4 percent). As a result, the civilian labor force rose by 11,453 (0.3 percent) to 4,478,433.
Nationally, March’s unemployment rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point over the month to 8.8 percent.
The number of persons employed increased by 291,000 (0.2 percent), while the civilian labor force increased by 160,000 (0.1 percent).