RALEIGH — North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in September, a 0.1 of a percentage point decrease from August’s rate, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The national rate decreased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.7 percent.

It’s the lowest unemployment rate for the year, decreasing 0.6 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed dropped from by 418 over the month, leaving 4,805,218 employed. Over the year, the number employed increased 60,636.

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For unemployed, the number decreased 9,530 in September to 187,386. The total unemployed decreased 32,493 over the year.

For seasonally adjusted nonfarm industry employment, gathered through a monthly survey, this employment decreased 21,900, dropping to 4,504,700 for September.

Industries that showed the greatest increases in employment were financial activities with 1,400 jobs added and information with 200 jobs added.

Leisure and hospitality services showed the greatest decrease in jobs for the month at 14,600. Trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, government, education and health services, construction, and mining and logging also experienced decreases.

Since September 2017, nonfarm jobs increased by 82,300 with the total private sector growth at 77,800. The greatest increases among major industries included professional and business services at 30,300 and followed by trade, transportation and utilities at 18,700.

Major industries showing job decreases in the past year included leisure and hospitality services at 5,900.

This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism

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