Asheville metro, Buncombe County boast lowest unemployment rate in state for December
FILE - Pictured: Downtown Asheville, NC on Jan. 16, 2023. - FEB. 2, 2023 - The North Carolina Department of Commerce reports Asheville metro and Buncombe County as having the lowest unemployment rate of the entire state in December 2022. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — For those who live in the Asheville metro area, the latest unemployment numbers for North Carolina bear good news.
The N.C. Department of Commerce says Asheville and Buncombe County have the lowest unemployment numbers in the state, at 2.5% in December.
LATEST JOBS REPORT SHOWS UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINS LOW, JOB GROWTH SLOWING
Tyrell County tops the list at 7.1%. Rocky Mount was the highest metro area at 5.2%.
"Not surprising. Historically, the Asheville metro area has led the state in low unemployment," said Clark Duncan, executive director of economic development for Asheville/Buncombe County. "That’s a double edge sword, of course, for employers."
WHERE ARE THE WORKERS? SURVEY SHINES LIGHT ON REASONS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM THE WORKFORCE
The challenge for employers is finding enough qualified workers, when the number of available employees is relatively small.
The report showed the total labor force of Buncombe County at just over 138,000 and the total number of unemployed workers at just over 3,000 people.