Rowan jobless rate drops in September

Published 12:01 am Thursday, October 30, 2014

Rowan County’s unemployment rate dropped nearly 1 percentage point in September, according to figures released by the state Department of Commerce Wednesday.

The county’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in September, down from 6.9 percent in August. And the rate is down 1.5 percentage points since September 2013.

The county’s workforce is estimated to be 67,952 with an estimated 4,120 people unemployed. The county’s workforce was estimated to be 66,692 in August.

Neighboring counties also saw their rates drop by at least half a percentage point.

Davie County saw its rate drop to 5.2 percent while Davidson County’s rate dropped to 6.3 percent. Cabarrus County had a rate of 5.4 in September. Iredell County had a rate of 5.8 percent while Stanly County’s rate was 5.6 percent.

Of the 100 counties statewide, 98 saw the unemployment rate drop month-to-month. Currituck County was the only county with an increase in the unemployment rate, and Swain County’s rate stayed the same at 6.8 percent.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was estimated to be 6.1 percent in September with a workforce of 4.65 million. Since September 2013, the number of workers employed statewide has increased by 22,939, while those unemployed has decreased by 58,540, according to the state Commerce Department.

The nation’s unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in September.