NC unemployment now on 12-month streak of lower rates

North Carolina’s unemployment rate has now declined every month for the past year. The state Commerce Department announced Friday that September's seasonally adjusted rate was 4.2% compared to 4.3% in August. The number of additional employed workers again outpaced the additional number of people entering the state’s labor force. The last time North Carolina’s rate increased was in September 2020. A 12-month streak of lower rates began the following month. The rate exceeded 13% during COVID-19 lockdowns and commerce restrictions in spring 2020. The national rate last month was 4.8%.