For the first time in recent years, the unemployment rate for Anson County has decreased below 6 percent. The April 2015 rate for Anson County was 5.9 percent, down 0.1 percent from March’s rate.
Scott Clontz, branch manager for the N.C. Works Center—Anson, formerly known as “the unemployment office,” said that he couldn’t remember a time when Anson’s unemployment rate was lower than 6 percent.
According to the records Clontz had on hand at his office on Wednesday afternoon, Anson County’s unemployment rate hasn’t been below 6.1 percent since September 2007.
“I do think more people have gone back to work,” he said, “though not necessarily in Anson County. But we do have more people going back to work.”
He said the N.C. Works Center sees about three or four people per week, which is down drastically from the number in the past who used to visit “the unemployment office.”
“A lot of people do their unemployment applications online now,” he added.
The 5.9-percent unemployment rate for April means that of the county’s estimate 11,009 labor force, just 653 received unemployment benefits from the N.C. Department of Commerce in April.
Unemployment rates decreased in 89 of North Carolina’s 100 counties during April, increased in six and remained the same in five counties. When compared to the same month one year ago, unemployment rates decreased in 95 counties, increased in one, and remained unchanged in four.
Jobless rates also decreased in all of Anson’s neighboring counties during the month of April. Richmond County’s rate was down to 7.3 percent, Stanly’s dropped to 4.9 and Union’s rate also decreased to 4.3 percent.
The next unemployment data will be reported on June 19, when the statewide rate for May will be announced.