Robeson County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in December and is as low as its been since December 2021.
                                 David Kennard | The Robesonian

Robeson County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in December and is as low as its been since December 2021.

David Kennard | The Robesonian

LUMBERTON — Robeson County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in December, according to data obtained by The Robesonian, falling from 6.1% in November to 5.3% in December, the most recent month for which data is available.

Year over year, the county’s unemployment rate dropped very slightly from 5.5%, indicating — ignoring all other variables — that the county has returned close to pre-pandemic levels.

Other data may also have influenced that jobless rate, including the number of employable people, sometimes called the “job pool” or “labor force,” in the county.

According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the labor force in the county in December 2022 included 47,374 workers, up slightly from 47,914 the year previous.

According to Commerce Department numbers, Robeson County’s closest neighbors showed the following unemployment numbers in December:

Bladen County: The jobless rate decreased from 4.9% in November to 5.3% in December, which mirrored conditions from the previous year when the unemployment rate stood at 4.3%.

Columbus County: The jobless rate decreased from 4.6% in November to 4% in December, which was slightly lower than the previous year when the unemployment rate stood at 4.5%.

Cumberland County: The jobless rate decreased from 5.5% in November to 4.8% in December, which was slightly lower than the previous year when the unemployment rate stood at 4.9%.

Hoke County: The unemployment rate dropped less than a percentage point from 5.3% in November to 4.5% in December. The labor pool gained a handful of workers from 20,038 in December 2021 to 20,216 a year later in December 2022.

Scotland: The unemployment rate dropped slightly, from 7.2% in November to 6.4% in December. The labor pool gained a handful of workers from 20,038 in December 2021 to 20,216 a year later in December 2022. The labor pool lost only a handful of workers from November (11,153) to December (11,056), according to Commerce Department data.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 96 of North Carolina’s counties in December and increased in four, according to the Commerce Department.

Tyrell County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.1 percent while Buncombe, Greene, Orange and Watauga counties each had the lowest at 2.5 percent.

All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 5.2 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.5 percent. The December not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.2 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, statewide not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 47 counties, decreased in 30, and remained unchanged in 23. Five of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases over the year, four decreased, and six remained unchanged.

The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in December by 2,607 to 4,926,333, while those unemployed decreased by 29,503 to 163,346. Since December 2021, the number of workers employed statewide has increased 93,639, while those unemployed increased 2,676.

According to the Commerce Department, it’s important to note that employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates.

Reach David Kennard by email at [email protected].