Hyde County started 2023 with the state’s highest unemployment rate followed by Tyrrell and Dare County, while all but one county in North Carolina saw their jobless numbers rise between December and January.
On the Outer Banks, increased rates in the early months of the year typically reflect the number of hospitality service and fishing-related businesses that temporarily close or go on hiatus.
The N.C. Department of Commerce reports the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate statewide was at 3.7 percent in January, an increase of 0.5 percent from December. The rate was up 0.2 percent compared to the January 2022, and down 0.1 percent from January 2021.
Hyde County’s rate for the first month of the year was at 10.1 percent, with 173 out of a workforce of 1,705 filing a jobless claim, an increase of 3.2 percent from December, up 1.7 percent from the previous January and 0.3 percent above January 2021.
Second highest in North Carolina was Tyrrell County at 7.7 percent, with 92 jobless claims from the state’s smallest workforce of 1,200 people, up 0.9 percent compared to the month prior, 0.5 percent higher than January 2022 and 2 percent lower than January 2021.
Jobless claims in Dare County went up 2.9 percent in January to 7.3 percent (1,323 of 18,076), 0.2 percent ahead of one year earlier, but 3.3 percent lower than January 2021.
Gates County had the lowest rate in northeastern North Carolina and 24th lowest in the state at 3.5 percent (177 of 5,097), followed by Camden and Chowan at 3.6 percent and Currituck at 3.8 percent.
North Carolina’s lowest rates of 3.0 percent were in Greene, Buncombe and Orange counties. Alleghany County reported the state’s only decrease in joblessness in January 2023, falling 1.6 percent from December.
Pasquotank had the region’s highest increase in workforce of 365 to 16,704, followed by Currituck’s 252 to 14,652. Dare had the region’s largest eligible workforce of 18,076 people. Hyde saw the area’s biggest drop 31 eligible workers, going down 31.
The number of people employed statewide increased 10,334 over the month to 4,972,559 and increased 23,120 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 4,198 over the month to 193,845 and increased 7,121 over the year.
The state Department of Commerce reported seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased 15,300 to 4,867,800 in January.
Major industries experiencing increases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 4,900; Construction, 3,900; Government, 2,700; Education & Health Services, 1,900; Information, 1,700; Manufacturing, 1,400; Financial Activities, 1,100; and Other Services, 600.
Major industries experiencing decreases were Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 2,100; and Professional & Business Services, 800. Mining & Logging employment remained unchanged.
Since January 2022, Total Nonfarm jobs increased 169,700 with the Total Private sector increasing by 162,300 and Government increasing by 7,400.
Major industries experiencing increases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 42,500; Professional & Business Services, 26,900; Education & Health Services, 25,500; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 16,100; Construction, 12,800; Financial Activities, 11,200; Manufacturing, 9,900; Other Services, 9,500; Information, 8,000; and Government, 7,400. The only major industry experiencing a decrease over the year was Mining & Logging, 100.