Durham County holds steady at 7.6 percent; analyst warns 'serious problems remain'

By Monica Chen

mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636

DURHAM -- Unemployment rates in the Triangle increased slightly from May to June.

Durham County's unemployment rate was steady at 7.6 percent. Wake County increased from 8.1 percent in May to 8.2 percent in June. Orange County jumped from 6.0 percent in May to 6.5 percent for June.

Unemployment rates decreased in just 35 of North Carolina's 100 counties in June, while 45 counties' rates increased and 20 had the same rate as the previous month, according to the monthly report released by the state's Employment Security Commission on Friday.

The Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area's unemployment rate increased from 7.3 percent in May to 7.5 percent in June. Raleigh-Cary's inched up from 8.3 percent to 8.4 percent.

The Triangle's combined statistical area also increased from 8.1 percent in May to 8.2 percent in June. The regional unemployment rate was an improvement from a year ago, when the Triangle posted 9.2 percent.

John Quinterno, an analyst in Chapel Hill, points to long-term trends that are not so favorable statewide. Job growth in 2010 has been sluggish, he said in his analysis.

Collectively, employment in the Charlotte, the Triad and Triangle regions has fallen by 4 percent since the start of the recession, Quinterno noted. Of the three areas, the Triangle had the lowest June unemployment rate. The Triad was 10.6 percent; Charlotte, 11.5 percent.

The unemployment rate and the number of unemployed in the metro have fallen in the Triangle, while the number of employed workers has increased. The size of the labor force has also continued to rise.

However, unemployment continues to be elevated in the Triangle, Quinterno pointed out.

"So, while things are better in the Durham area than most places in the state, serious problems remain and the recession continues to take a toll on many households," Quinterno said. "The region is fortunate to have many resources with which to work, but it isn't out of the woods by any means. Progress has been slow."

Over the year, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro, which includes Durham, Orange, Person and Chatham counties, added 1,900 jobs, mostly in government and educational and health services.

The Raleigh-Cary metro lost 1,700 jobs year-over-year, with losses in the construction, trade and manufacturing sectors offsetting increases in professional and business services and education and health.

The number of workers employed across North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) decreased in June by 10,479 workers, to 4,088,107. The number of people unemployed increased, by 1,822. The number of unemployed people in June was 457,341, compared with 455,519 workers in May.

AREA JUNE JOBLESS RATES

Durham County: 7.6 percent

Wake County: 8.2 percent

Orange County: 6.5 percent

Chatham County: 6.9 percent

Person County: 10.5 percent

Granville County: 10.3 percent

Source: Employment Security Commission of North Carolina