NC unemployment rate flat at 5.9 percent in August

North Carolina’s jobless rate was unchanged last month, though employers continued to add workers, a sign the state’s economy continues to improve.

The unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in August, unchanged from July, according to a report from the N.C. Commerce Department released Friday. The state added a net of 700 nonfarm jobs, led by the biggest gain in construction, which grew by 2,700.

Construction gains come as the housing market improves, as nonresidential construction picks up and as infrastructure development progresses, Rick Kaglic, a Charlotte-based Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond senior economist, said in a call with reporters.

On the other side of the spectrum, the government sector shrank by 3,600 jobs last month. Job numbers within the sector fluctuate around this time of year because of how school districts pay workers, including teachers and administrators, which can determine whether they’re counted as employed or unemployed, Kaglic said.

Overall, the state job report is “indicative of a regional economy that is on a really healthy growth trajectory,” Kaglic said.

Over the last year, North Carolina has added a total of 107,200 nonfarm payroll jobs and its unemployment rate has fallen from 6 percent in August 2014.

According to a separate report Friday, South Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 6 percent in August from 6.4 percent in July.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 11:42 AM with the headline "NC unemployment rate flat at 5.9 percent in August."