Unemployment figures for Dec. 2015 report mixed news for Asheville, Buncombe County

Statistics released by the North Carolina Department of commerce earlier today indicate that Buncombe County had the lowest unemployment rate among North Carolina’s 100 counties through the month of December, 2015, at 3.9 percent of the total labor force. The unemployment rate dropped .1 percent from November 2015 (4.0 percent unemployment).

Of the county’s 130,871 labor force population, 5,107 people were considered unemployed in 2015. In addition, Asheville recorded the lowest unemployment rate for metro areas in North Carolina, at 4.2 percent, or 9,094 unemployed people out of a labor force of 218, 944.

However, unemployment figures for 2015 in Buncombe County and Asheville increased from the same time period in 2014. In Buncombe, unemployment rose from 3.7 percent in Dec. 2014 to 3.9 percent in 2015. Asheville unemployment rates from Dec. 2014 stood at 4 percent, compare to 4.2 percent in 2015.

Among market conditions in the Asheville Metropolitan Area, Trade, Transportation & Utilities as well as Leisure & Hospitality saw the most net employment growth, at approximately 600 jobs each, which Information industries saw the largest percentage growth, at 5.3 percent.

Elsewhere in Western North Carolina, unemployment figures ranged from 12 percent (Graham County) to 4.3 percent (Henderson County). The largest variance in unemployment percentages between Dec. 2014 and Dec. 2015 was in Graham County, which dropped from 13.1 in 2014 to 12 percent in 2015. Overall, North Carolina’s unemployment rates decreased in 70 counties in December, increased in 21 counties and remained unchanged in 9 counties.

Statistics for the report were comprised of estimates from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, based on the same definitions as those used by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. LAUS considers “employed persons ” as “those who did any work at all for pay or profit in the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month) or worked 15 hours or more without pay in a family business or farm, plus those not working who had a job from which they were temporarily absent, whether or not paid, for such reasons as bad weather, labor-management dispute, illness, or vacation.”

Residents considered “unemployed” include “those who were not employed during the reference week (based on the definition above), had actively looked for a job sometime in the 4-week period ending with the reference week, and were currently available for work; persons on lay-off expecting recall need not be looking for work to be counted as unemployed.” Labor force totals were comrpised of the sum of employed and unemployed persons.

While these estimates give an good indication of employment numbers for Dec. 2015, the N.C. Department of Commerce cautions that “employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns” and recommend focusing on over-the-year changes instead of seasonal estimates.

Statistics for January 2016 will be released on Monday, March 14 2016, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

For more information and a definition of how statistics were collected, visit nccommerce.com/lead.

Press release:

North Carolina’s December County and Area Employment Figures Released

RALEIGH —Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 70 of North Carolina’s counties in December, increased in 21, and remained unchanged in nine. Graham County had the highest unemployment rate at 12.0 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.9 percent. Thirteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases while one increased and one remained unchanged. Among the Metro areas, Rocky Mount at 7.3 percent experienced the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 4.2 percent. The December not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 5.3 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 81 counties, decreased in 12, and remained unchanged in seven. Fourteen metro areas experienced rate increases over the year while one decreased.

The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in December by 25,147 to 4,502,869 while those unemployed decreased 10,375 to 249,845. Since December 2014, the number of workers employed statewide increased 140,526, while those unemployed increased 18,167.

It is 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.

The next unemployment update is scheduled for Monday, March 14, 2016 when the state unemployment rate for January 2016 will be released.