This is from my local newspaper. It seems that my county NEEDS those jobs Americans won't do! Part of this unemployment problem is the fact that almost every construction crew in this county consists of ILLEGALS!

http://www.newstopic.net/articles/2006/ ... tejump.txt

Unemployment rate jumps to 8.9



Saturday, April 1, 2006 12:42 PM EST


Nathan Key, Managing Editor

Caldwell County's unemployment rate for the month of February saw a significant jump, enough to give it the third highest figure in North Carolina.

After coming in at a rate of 7.8 percent in January, Caldwell's unemployment rate for February rose to 8.9 percent, the highest figure for the county since the October 2005 rate stood at 9.6 percent.

Only Rutherford County and Hyde County had unemployment rates higher than Caldwell's. Both counties had rates of 9 percent in February. Hyde also topped the state in unemployment in January.


Caldwell's increase of 1.1 percent was the highest in the state and can be attributed largely to a significant number of people who filed claims for unemployment insurance from layoffs in the furniture and fixtures manufacturing industry, according to the Employment Security Commission.

Caldwell was not alone in seeing an increased unemployment rate in February. Ninety of the 100 counties in North Carolina saw an increase in their figures.

Edgecombe (8.7), Scotland (8.6), Swain (8.5), Dare (8.2), Graham (8.2) and Vance (8.2) also saw their unemployment figures top the 8-percent plateau.

Thirty-five counties had an unemployment rate of 5 percent or less in February, down from 47 in January.

Orange County had the state's lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, but that was higher than its 3.2 in January. New Hanover, Currituck and Wake each stood at 3.7 percent with their February unemployment figures.

“While there were some increases in rates this month, we are still encouraged by strong employment numbers throughout the state,” N.C. ESC Chairman Harry E. Payne Jr. said. “Since this time last year, employment has increased by just over 103,000, and the not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is down by nearly a full percentage point.”

Caldwell's February 2006 rate is a full percentage point higher than it was a year ago, but about even with its 2004 and 2003 numbers for the month.

The county's labor force dipped by more than 3,300 people since January, and its number of unemployed rose by 437.

Caldwell's unemployment rate was again the highest in the Unifour as it has been for the last 33 months. The last time Caldwell did not have the highest unemployment figure in the Unifour was in May 2003 when Catawba County had the highest figure.

Alexander County's rate in February held at 4.8 percent, while Burke County's rose from 5.7 percent to 6.1. Catawba's also rose slightly from 5.3 to 5.5 percent.

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan statistical area (MSA) also saw an increased rate, jumping from 5.9 percent to 6.4 percent, still the second highest total in the state behind the Rocky Mount MSA of 6.9.

Mecklenburg County received the highest total of unemployment insurance benefits at $6.2 million in February, followed by Wake ($4.5 million) and Guilford ($3.7 million).

The state's unemployment rate crept up slightly during February but remained less than the national average.

North Carolina's unemployment rate last month was 4.6 percent, an increase from the 4.3 percent shown in January and still below the 5.1 percent rate of February 2005.

The national unemployment average in February was 4.8 percent. A year ago the rate stood at 5.4 percent.

“At 4.6 percent, North Carolina's unemployment rate is at one of its lowest levels in years,” Payne said. “We're continually encouraged by the overall number of people employed in the state. Employment numbers continue to be near an all-time high.”

The largest gain in jobs from January to February was in the trade, transportation, warehousing and utilities sector with the addition of 4,300.

Since February 2005, the largest gain has occurred in educational and health services with 17,800 jobs.

The manufacturing sector had a decline of 1,300 jobs and has reported 9,200 job losses in the last year.

Claims for unemployment insurance in February totaled 44,033, a decrease of more than 36,000 from January. Fifty-three percent of those claims were “attached,” meaning that employees expect to be recalled to their jobs within 12 weeks.

A total of $71.5 million in unemployment benefits was paid out in February statewide. In the last 12 months, the state paid out nearly $830 million in unemployment benefits.