N. Carolina Unemployment Rate Falls To 5.2% In March

North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell for the sixth consecutive month in March. The state Commerce Department said on Friday the seasonally adjusted jobless rate decreased from 5.7% in February to 5.2%. The national rate was 6% in March. The March rate in North Carolina is the lowest since a 3.9% rate in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic took off. The rate soon went into double digits. The jobless figures have slowly improved since then, especially as business restrictions have eased. Department data shows the largest month-over-month numeric employment gains were in manufacturing and in leisure and hospitality services.