The unemployment picture continued to brighten in September for Anson and the state as a whole.

The unemployment rate in Anson dropped from 12.3 percent in August to 11.5 percent in September, according to an Oct. 29 statement from the Employment Security Commission (ESC) of North Carolina. Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 9.1 percent, down from 9.7 percent.

The unemployment rate fell in 97 of the state's 100 counties. The rate stayed the same in one county and increased in two.

"Economic challenges continue to impact communities across North Carolina," ESC Chairman Lynn R. Holmes said. "We still have more than a third of the state's counties with over 10 percent unemployment."

Anson is one of 51 counties above the statewide rate. The county had the eighth highest unemployment rate in North Carolina.

The county is not faring much worse than some of its neighbors and better than one. Richmond County has an unemployment rate of 12 percent, Stanly's rate is 10.4 percent and Union has an 8.2 percent unemployment rate.

While still painfully high, the numbers show a vast improvement over the darker days of the past year. In September 2009, Anson was facing an unemployment rate of 15.1 percent. In January 2010, the rate was at a high of 17.1 percent.

Currituck County had the lowest rate in the state, 4.1 percent. Scotland County had the highest rate at 14.8 percent.