Triangle unemployment rate drops to 7.5 percent

The jobless rate across the Research Triangle area fell to 7.5 percent in April from 7.9 percent in March, the state Labor and Economic Analysis Division reported Friday.

A year ago, the unemployment rate was 8.2 percent.

Statewide, unemployment fell in all 14 major metropolitan areas for the second consecutive month.

The rates are not seasonally adjusted, the measure that economists consider the best barometer of the jobs situation.

However, the Triangle number did match the seasonally adjusted figure released by the Bureau of Business Research at East Carolina University. Its data was released shortly after the state's figures.

In Raleigh-Cary, employers added 600 jobs in April.

Profession and business services firms actually added 1,400 jobs, but those were largely offset by a drop of 900 jobs in mining, logging and construction.

Over the past year, Raleigh-Cary employers have added 8,100 jobs, a growth rate of 1.6 percent.

In Durham-Chapel Hill, about 700 jobs were added in April, with 600 coming in business and professional services.

Year to date, Durham-Chapel Hill employers have added 3,900 jobs, an improvement of 1.4 percent.

Other metro areas

In Fayetteville, employers added 800 jobs. The jobless rate declined to 9.3 percent from 9.6 percent in March.

In Rocky Mount, unemployment dropped to 12.1 percent from 12.8 percent the previous month as employers added 600 jobs.

In Goldsboro, the addition of 300 jobs helped drop the jobless rate to 8.4 percent last month from 8.7 percent in March.