Bladen County’s unemployment rate saw slight improvement in both month over month as well as year over year, according to a recent report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
David Kennard
Bladen Journal
ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County saw a slight improvement in its monthly unemployment rate, according to data obtained by the Bladen Journal late last week.
The local unemployment rate improved from 4.7% in January to 4.4% in February, the most recent month for which data is available.
Year over year data showed improvement as well with the county unemployment rate going from 4.9% in February 2022 to the current rate of 4.4%.
Bladen County’s improvement was mirrored by most counties around the state, according to the most recent data.
“Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 74 of North Carolina’s counties in February 2023, increased in five, and remained unchanged in 21,” according to a prepared statement from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
The state’s data showed that Hyde County on the East Coast had the highest unemployment rate at 10.6% while Orange County just west of Durham had the lowest at 2.8%.
Twelve of the state’s 15 metro areas experienced rate decreases and three remained unchanged, according to state numbers. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 5.2% while Asheville had the lowest at 3.0%.
The Fayetteville metro area, the closest metropolitan statistical area to Bladen County, showed an unemployment rate of 5%, slightly higher than Bladen County’s 4.4%.
The February not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.6%, likewise, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6%
Nearly all of Bladen County’s closest neighbors showed higher unemployment rates; Scotland County had an unemployment rate (6.6%), Pender County posted the lowest jobless rate with just 3.3% of its labor force unemployed in February.
The rest of the greater Bladen County area showed the following: Robeson, 5.1%; Columbus, 4%; Cumberland, 5%; Hoke, 4.7%; Pender, 3.3%; Sampson, 3.4%; Scotland, 6.6%.
When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 74 of the state’s counties, increased in 13, and remained unchanged in 13. Twelve of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year, one increased, and two remained unchanged.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in February by 13,486 to 4,979,802, while those unemployed decreased by 4,564 to 186,006.
Likewise, Bladen County saw its labor force increase by 141 workers, going from 14,740 in January to 14,881 in February. The year-over-year comparison showed that since February 2022, Bladen County gained 1,004 workers going from 13,887 in February 2022 to 14,881 in February 2023, according to the Department of Commerce.
The state said employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates.