Mecklenburg County's unemployment rate fell slightly in November, to 9.8 percent, but remained above the state and national rates, North Carolina officials said Wednesday.

The county rate was down 0.2 percentage points from October, when unemployment was 10 percent. November's rate was also lower compared with the same month in 2010, when unemployment was 10.4 percent.

There were an estimated 44,655 unemployed people in Mecklenburg in November, out of a labor force totaling 454,045. The size of the labor force shrank slightly compared with October, when it was estimated at 460,049 workers.

Those figures point to lingering trouble in the labor markets, said David Hollars, executive director of the Centralina Workforce Development Board.

"In most of the counties, the numbers in the labor force are going down as more people are rotating off their last round of unemployment," Hollars said. "They're just dropping out of the labor force and hoping things will get better."

Compared with November 2009, Hollars said the number of people employed in Mecklenburg has grown by just 3,000.

Still, Hollars said many employers tell him they are looking for workers, especially those with skills in high-tech manufacturing, logistics and distribution.

"They're trying to find qualified workers," Hollars said. Those out of work often need to learn new skills before they'll be considered. "Unfortunately, the semi-skilled, or jobs where you learn on the job, are going by the wayside."

The November figure remains above the unadjusted statewide average of 9.5 percent, the agency said. Nationally, the November rate was 8.6 percent.

Unemployment fell in 74 of North Carolina's 100 counties, increased in 20 and remained the same in six. It was highest in Scotland County, at 16.6 percent, and lowest in Orange County, at 5.8 percent.