NC’s unemployment rate ticks upward in February

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s unemployment rate rose slightly in February to 3.9 percent, up 0.1 of a percentage point from January’s revised rate, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Commerce.

The rate is still historically low, as it decreased 0.3 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people unemployed increased 3,712 over the month to 194,753 and decreased 12,502 over the year.

There are now 4.8 million people working in North Carolina, up 8,831 in February and 57,152 in the past year.

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Total nonfarm industry employment increased 3,800 in February, led by the biggest gains in leisure and hospitality with 3,000 jobs, professional business with 1,300 jobs and transportation services with 1,000 jobs.

Those gains were offset by decreases of 2,100 jobs in education and health and 1,600 jobs in construction.

The largest year-over-year increase among industries was leisure and hospitality services, up 19,700 since February 2018.

This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism