The Triad's unemployment rate dropped below 11 percent for the first time in seven months during September, falling to 10.9 percent, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported today.
The rate has decreased 0.8 percentage points since hitting at least a 41-year high of 11.7 percent in June.
The jobless rate for the Winston-Salem metropolitan statistical area slipped below 10 percent to 9.8 percent. Forsyth County's rate decreased 0.3 percentage points to 9.5 percent.
The jobless rate decreased in 11 of the 14 counties in the Triad and Northwest N.C., led by a 0.8 percentage point drop in Rockingham County to 11.7 percent. Davie County was the lone county with an increase, going up 0.5 percentage points to 12.1 percent.
"While 76 counties across North Carolina experienced an unemployment rate decrease, we must remember that most of these same counties remain at a high rate,'' said Moses Carey, chairman of the N.C. Employment Security Commission.
"We're encouraged by some recent job announcements, but we are also aware of some continued layoffs."
The Winston-Salem MSA — which consists of Davie, Forsyth, Stokes and Yadkin counties — had a net gain of 1,300 jobs during August, including 2,800 in government.
Most teachers are counted as unemployed by the commission when their annual contracts expire in May and June.
Every other major employment sector has decreases in employment during September, including 400 jobs each in professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality.
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