Special to Iredell Free 

RALEIGH — Iredell County’s unemployment rate inched up to 4.5 percent in April, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The county’s unemployment rate increased from 4.4 percent in March, but the current rate is still dramatically better than 12 months ago, when it reached 14.7 percent in the first months of the pandemic.

Iredell County has a labor force of 89,232 individuals. Some 4,030 were unemployed in April.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 91 of North Carolina’s counties in April, increased in seven, and remained unchanged in two.

Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.5 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 3.0 percent. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.3 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill had the lowest at 3.5 percent. The April not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.4 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) decreased in April by 4,935 to 4,757,583, while those unemployed decreased by 11,269 to 217,379. Since April 2020, the number of workers employed statewide increased 710,828, while those unemployed decreased 395,936.