The statewide jobless rate went up slightly in North Carolina in October but remained below the 5 percent benchmark. That's the rate that many economists consider full employment. And local counties are part of a steady employment picture.
The Triad's 4.6 October jobless rate is almost a full point lower than it was at the same time in 2015.
Jobs in education and health services were among the biggest sectors for growth over September. David Rhoades, a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce, says the region's logistical strengths are also helping.
“Those numbers between manufacturing and the transportation infrastructure that helps move those goods into markets across the nation - sometimes there's a correlation there and in this particular instance we do see that those sectors are growing,” he says.
The overall state jobless rate ticked up by a small fraction to 4.9 percent. Rhoades says it's better to look at longer-term trends than monthly fluctuations. The North Carolina unemployment rate has been below 5 percent since June.
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