North Carolina unemployment rate up to 5.5 percent in April

By EMERY P. DALESIO
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s unemployment rate ticked up to 5.5 percent in April, marking the first time in 11 months that the state’s jobless rate was higher than the national average.

The state Commerce Department released the closely-watched measure of North Carolina’s economic fitness Wednesday.

The state’s unemployment rate rose one-tenth of one percentage point from 5.4 percent in March. The national average dropped an identical amount to April’s 5.4 percent.

The last time the national jobless average was lower than North Carolina’s mark was last June.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate has fallen by nearly a full percentage point in the past year.

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