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Burke unemployment rises; local labor force shrinks

By Steve Welker | The News Herald

Published: June 27, 2009

Morganton, NC - Burke County's unemployment rate rose in May, much like the jobless rates increased in 81 other North Carolina counties.
Almost 440 fewer Burke County people had jobs than in April. The unemployment rate rose 0.3 percent to 14.9 percent — meaning more than one out of every seven people in Burke County's labor force is jobless — about 5,900 in all.
May's unemployment rate was lower than February's 15.9 percent, but May's labor force is smaller by 1,000 people, according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission. The size of the local labor force slumped below 40,000 as frustrated workers stopped looking for jobs, exhausted their unemployment benefits or, in some cases, moved away.
Neighboring McDowell County's unemployment rate was second-highest in the state at 16.5 percent. However, its labor force grew in May to nearly 22,100, the highest level in five years.
Catawba and Caldwell counties now have higher unemployment rates than Burke — 15.5 and 15.6 percent, respectively.
The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan area in May continued to have the highest unemployment level (15.4 percent) among North Carolina's 14 MSA's. N.C. ESC statisticians said most of the area's job losses from April to May were in manufacturing and professional and business services. Trade, transportation and utilities added 200 people and educational and health services together added about 100 jobs in the four-county region.