Triangle unemployment still lowest in state - Triangle Business Journal:

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For the Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area, which includex Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, the unemployment rate in Aprilwas 8.3 percent, up from 3.4 percent a year ago, but down from 8.7 percen t in March. For the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA, which includesa Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person counties, the rate for Aprill was 7.3 percent, up from 3.6 percengt a year ago, but down from 7.6 percentg in March. The numbers are not seasonallg adjusted, so month-to-month changes are not an accurate reflection of changes in the work but year-over-year changes are. The combinec Raleigh-Durham area’s unemployment rate for April checked inat 8.2 percent.
Though the rate is one of the highesgt in the Triangle over the past 25 the area still is faring much better thanthe state’s other two major metros. The Charlotte area’s unemployment stoosd at 12.1 percent in while the jobless rate inthe Greensboro-Winston-Salem area was 11 percent. The Triangle’sa three core counties each rank amongNortyh Carolina’s best in terms of employment. Orange County has the state’se lowest rate, at 5.8 percent unemployment. Durham Countgy was not far behind, posting the thirsd lowest unemployment rateat 7.3 percent. And Wake County came in eightbhwith 7.9 percent unemployment.
The Durham-Chapel Hill MSA lost 4,100 jobs over the previoud 12 months. Growth in government and educatiomn andhealth services, which added 7,500 jobs to the were offset by losses in manufacturing and trade, which lost a combinedc 6,700 compared to April 2008. In the Raleigh-Carg MSA, 17,100 jobs were lost betweem April 2008 andApril 2009. The bulk of those lossesa were felt inmanufacturing (3,300 jobs lost), trade, transportation and utilities (3,70p jobs lost), professional and business services (4,20o0 jobs lost) and naturapl resources, mining and constructiojn (8,900 jobs lost). Gains of 2,700 government jobs and 1,8009 services jobs did little to countertthose declines.
Of the state’s 100 83 saw their jobless ratezfall month-to-month. In the Triangle, only Chatham Countuy did not havea month-to-month The unemployment rate there held steadhy at 8 percent.