SALISBURY — According a North Carolina Department of Commerce report, Rowan County’s October unemployment rate has decreased by 1 percent compared to October 2016.

The report, released at the end of November, says the county’s unemployment rate rose slightly in October compared to September, by 0.3 percent, to 4.4 percent.

In September, the county’s unemployment rate was 4.1. In October 2016, it was 5.4 percent.

Unemployment rates across the state rose in October, with 93 of North Carolina’s 100 counties seeing increases and seven seeing no change.

Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate in the state — 7.2 percent — and Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.1 percent.

The statewide unemployment rate, which was not seasonally adjusted, was 4.1 percent.

The five counties surrounding Rowan County — Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Iredell and Stanly — all saw unemployment rate increases between September and October.

Cabarrus County’s rate increased by 0.1 percent. Davidson, Davie, Iredell and Stanly counties’ rates increased by 0.2 percent.

Compared to October 2016, unemployment rates went down in the five counties.

Since then, unemployment in Cabarrus and Davie counties has decreased by 0.6 percent. Davidson, Iredell and Stanly counties’ rates fell 0.7 percent.

In October this year, Cabarrus and Davie counties had an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent; Davidson County had a rate of 4 percent; and Iredell and Stanly counties had a rate of 3.9 percent.

In both September and October, no county had an unemployment rate higher than 10 percent.

The number of workers employed statewide decreased in October by 19,213 to 4,751,139.

The number of people in North Carolina who were unemployed increased in October by 7,987 to 204,020.

Since October 2016, the number of people employed in North Carolina increased by 74,326 and the number of people unemployed decreased by 47,192.

The next unemployment update will be released Dec. 22, giving figures for November.

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.