Triangle unemployment climbs to 8.8 percent

A year ago, Triangle unemployment was 8 percent.

Nearly 7,000 more people are out of work than a year ago, according to ESC data. Now, 76,514 people are counted as unemployed in the Triangle.

The rate is not seasonally adjusted. Statewide, unemployment was 10.4 percent in August.

The seasonally adjusted rate for the Triangle is 8.5 percent, up from 7.8 percent in July and from 8.1 percent a year ago, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Business Research at East Carolina University. 

Durham-Chapel Hill did add 4,700 jobs from July. Most of those were in government (4,000) as a new school year began. For the year, jobs are down 1,500 from August 2010.

Raleigh-Cary jobs declined by 100 from July and are down 3,700 from a year ago. An increase of 1,100 government jobs was offset by a loss of 1,200 professional and business services jobs.

Across North Carolina, unemployment climbed in 10 of the state’s 14 major metro areas while dropping in three and remaining the same in one.

Rocky Mount has the state’s largest metro jobless rate, at 13.6 percent.

In Fayetteville, unemployment is 10.4 percent. Goldsboro’s jobless rate is 9.3 percent.