Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — Iredell County’s unemployment rate improved to 3.2 percent in November, down from 3.5 percent in October.

Iredell has a labor force of 90,725 individuals, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. A total of 2,866 people in the county were unemployed in November.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 97 of North Carolina’s counties in November and increased in three. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.0 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 2.4 percent.

All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 5.2 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill had the lowest at 2.7 percent. The November not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.4 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year.

The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in November by 12,364 to 4,896,622, while those unemployed decreased by 15,601 to 170,606. Since November 2020, the number of workers employed statewide increased 173,360, while those unemployed decreased 144,592.