Triangle unemployment increases slightly

The unemployment rate in the Triangle increased slightly from April to May, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Unemployment for the Raleigh-Durham-Cary area was 7.3 percent in May, compared with 6.8 percent in April. The number for May has not been seasonally adjusted, but the April number is revised.

The May unemployment rate marks a slight decrease from a year ago, when 7.8 percent of the population was jobless.

The statewide unemployment rate in May 2013 was 8.8 percent. It has declined slowly but steadily over the past year. The May 2012 unemployment rate was 9.5 percent.