Unemployment rates decreased in 99 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in July and remained unchanged in one. All 15 of the state’s metro areas -- including Fayetteville -- had rate decreases over the year. Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent. 

Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.1 percent while Avery County had the lowest at 3.5 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.7 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh each had the lowest at 3.9 percent. The July not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.6 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year.

In the Fayetteville metro area, of the 147,000 people in the workforce, 137,00 were employed in July, making the jobless rate 6.6 percent, an improvement over June’s 6.9 percent. The Raleigh metro area had the lowest unemployment level in the state, with a 3.9 percent jobless rate.

Drilling down on the local numbers, the Fayetteville metro area saw a 1.3 percent decrease in manufacturing and utility jobs and a 4.1 percent drop in employment by governments. The biggest gainer in jobs in the Fayetteville area was professional services, which saw a 4.6 percent increase.

The jobless rate was down in all Fayetteville-area counties: Cumberland was 6.6 percent (the same as the metro area); Moore, 4.4 percent; Harnett, 5.2; Hoke, 6.2; Bladen. 5.4; and Robeson, 6.2.

The number of workers employed statewide increased in July by 26,529 to 4,817,155, while those unemployed decreased by 15,020 to 232,409. Since July 2020, the number of workers employed statewide has increased 300,560, while those unemployed decreased 228,345, according to the commerce department.

The next unemployment update is Sept. 17, when state employment rates for August will be released. County and metro-area employment rates for August will be released on Sept. 9.