More than 640,000 jobs were lost last month in N.C. as COVID-19 crisis escalated 

Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 12.2 percent, increasing 7.9 percentage points from March’s revised rate. The national rate increased 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 percent.

County unemployment rates for individual counties will be released June 3.

North Carolina’s April 2020 unemployment rate increased 8.1 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed decreased 643,157 over the month to 4,112,383 and decreased 744,300 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 357,418 over the month to 573,118 and increased 367,922 over the year.

Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, decreased 571,700 to 3,996,000 in April. Major industries experiencing decreases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 249,800; Education & Health Services, 63,200; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 63,200; Professional & Business Services, 55,700; Manufacturing, 51,200; Other Services, 33,200; Government, 26,000; Construction, 12,500; Financial Activities, 8,900; and Information, 8,000. Mining & Logging employment remained unchanged over the month.

Since April 2019, Total Nonfarm jobs decreased 568,200 with the Total Private sector decreasing by 549,000 and Government decreasing by 19,200. The only over-the-year increase among major industries was in Financial Activities, 1,200. Major industries experiencing decreases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 251,500; Education & Health Services, 68,900; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 68,900; Professional & Business Services, 57,100; Manufacturing, 56,200; Other Services, 31,100; Government, 19,200; Construction, 11,600; Information, 4,800; and Mining & Logging, 100.