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Local News |
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Lincoln unemployment rises From staff reports Oct. 31 - Overall, the report is encouraging. According to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, the unemployment rate dropped during September in 67 of 100 counties statewide — resulting in a 4.9 percent unemployment rate compared to August’s 5.1 percent. But then there are the Lincoln County numbers, where the number of unemployed workers seeking employment rose during the same period. During September, 7.1 percent of Lincoln’s workforce — or 2,450 workers — were off the job, a rise of 0.3 percent over August. The increase, said Sharon Riggan, manager of the Lincolnton ESC office, is actually due to temporary layoffs in the manufacturing sector being factored in the report numbers and is not an indication of more jobs lost in the county. “New claims for unemployment actually went down in September, 99 less than the prior month,” said Riggan. The Lincolnton ESC office took in 270 new applications for unemployment benefits during September, down from 369 in August. Those totals do not include applications for temporary benefits made by employers for their employees. Temporary benefits allow an employer to keep an employee on payroll until work is available. Those benefits last up to eight weeks, with the possibility of an eight week extension. An increase in the number of persons on temporary unemployment is typical at this time of the year, said Riggan. September’s 7.1 percent unemployment rate is the third highest this year. In January, 7.6 percent of Lincoln’s workforce was unemployed. During April and May that number decreased to 5.7, before rising over the summer months. According to the ESC report, the N.C. counties with the lowest unemployment rates were Currituck with a 1.0 percent rate and Watauga County where 1.5 percent of the workforce are unemployed. Nearby Cleveland County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate during Sept.: 11.7 percent. The unemployment rate in September of last year was 5.4 percent in Lincoln County. |
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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