Jobless rate falls slowly

Union County's annual unemployment rate decreased for the second consecutive year, and stood at 9.1 percent, new state data shows.

That's an 8 percent drop from 2010's rate. The county also boasted the lowest annual rate in the Charlotte region, an Observer analysis of state labor market data show.

Union is tied for the 17th lowest rate out of the state's 100 counties, along with Duplin and Moore counties, the analysis found. Neighboring Mecklenburg County's rate was 10.3 percent, and statewide, the annual unemployment rate stood at 10 percent

But while Union County fared better than its neighbors, the 9.1 percent rate still reflected a region battling the lingering effects of the recession. The county's unemployment rate was the third highest for the county in the past 22 years, records show, trailing only the 10.2 percent rate in 2009 and the 9.9 percent rate from 2010.

Still, local officials were pleased to see the annual number continuing its downward trend.

"That's good. That makes me happy," said Judy Carpenter, who runs the state Employment Security Commission office in Union County. "Things are happening, even if it's slowly."

She said job notices are starting to trickle in to her office, including for surveying, poultry plant work and temporary jobs as packers in a warehouse.

Carpenter also said she was pleased to see December's unemployment rate come in below 9 percent, at 8.9 percent. Even thought that was a slight increase from December 2010, Carpenter said there was not a lot of seasonal hiring done because companies seemed to be more interested in giving current workers more hours rather than hiring new employees.