Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina’s unemployment rate remained 10.8 percent in September with an increase of nearly 9,700 more people working offset by another nearly 2,900 unemployed, the North Carolina Employment Security Commission reported Friday.

The state’s jobless rate has stayed within a range of 10.7 percent in February to a high of 11.1 percent in May.

The state did add 13,000 government jobs last month, “mostly” teachers, said Employment Security Commission spokesperson Andy James.

However, the state lost another 6,500 trade, transportation and utilities related jobs.

According to ESC data, North Carolina has suffered a net loss of non-farm jobs in every primary category it tracks other than government and education/health services over the past year.

By category:

• Total non-farm: -210,200
• Natural resources and mining: -200
• Construction: -34,800
• Manufacturing: -69,700
• Trade, transportation and utilities: -46,000
• Information: -5,000
• Financial activities: -13,000
• Professional and business services: -41,400
• Education and health services: +5,000
• Leisure and hospitality: -5,400
• Other services: -13,900
• Government: +14,200

“While we have positive news about a small increase in employment across the state, the fact that the unemployment rate remains about the same as it has been for months is a sobering point,” said ESC Chairman Moses Carey Jr. in a statement.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the country and is a full percentage point worse than the national rate of 9.8 percent.

ESC figures show that 4,042,297 people were working and 491,766 were seeking work in September.

The jobless rate does not include people who are not working and have given up seeking employment or moved elsewhere.

A year ago, North Carolina’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent.