Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted December unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, remaining unchanged from November’s revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 6.7 percent.

North Carolina’s December 2020 unemployment rate increased 2.6 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 27,571 over the month to 4,702,115 and decreased 215,063 over last December. The number of people unemployed decreased 630 over the month to 310,675 and increased 124,552 over the year.

Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased 33,600 to 4,403,200 in December. Major industries experiencing increases were Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 13,700; Professional & Business Services, 11,700; Manufacturing, 4,500; Education & Health Services, 1,900; Financial Activities, 1,800; Government, 1,700; Information, 900; and Other Services, 300. Major industries experiencing decreases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 2,800; and Mining & Logging, 100. Construction employment remained unchanged.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates since December 2019

Since December 2019, Total Nonfarm jobs decreased 190,700 with the Total Private sector decreasing by 162,800 and Government decreasing by 27,900. Major industries experiencing increases were Professional & Business Services, 10,500; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 10,200; and Financial Activities, 1,000. Major industries experiencing decreases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 110,100; Manufacturing, 31,500; Education & Health Services, 29,900; Government, 27,900; Construction, 4,700; Information, 4,100; Other Services, 4,100; and Mining & Logging, 100.