COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina's unemployment has set a
state record, with the jobless numbers for April reaching 11.5
percent.
The numbers released Friday broke a 26-year-old record.
In March, the state unemployment rate was 11.4 percent. That
matched the highest rate ever in the state, set in January 1983.
Unemployment in South Carolina has now increased for 14 straight
months. The number of unemployed workers in the state has more than
doubled during that time to nearly 253,000 people.
Nationally, the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent in
April. That was up nearly a half-point from 8.5 percent in March.
A year ago, the U.S. rate was at 5.0 percent.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's jobless rate for April was
unchanged at 10.8 percent, marking a third straight month the
jobless rate was largely flat.
The report Friday offers hope that the worst of the state's job
losses may be over.
The state Employment Security Commission says the number of
people without work in North Carolina decreased by about 800 since
March but that wasn't enough to change the unemployment rate.
Nearly 493,000 people were out of work in April.
The jobless rate of 10.8 percent is still the highest since
states started the current measuring method in 1976. North
Carolina's rate in April 2008 was 5.7 percent.
North Carolina's jobless rate has soared from 7 percent in
October.
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