Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — Iredell County’s unemployment rate dipped slightly in January but remains more than two percentage points higher than last January.

The county’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.8 percent in December to 5.7 percent in January, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. In January 2020, the county’s unemployment rate was 3.4 percent.

Iredell County has a workforce of 89,079 individuals. Some 5,079 people were unemployed in January.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 62 of North Carolina’s counties in January, increased in 25, and remained unchanged in 13. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 11.4 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 4.3 percent.

Thirteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases, one increased, and one remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Fayetteville had the highest rate at 8.2 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill had the lowest at 4.9 percent. The January not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 6.0 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 99 counties and decreased in one. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases over the year.

The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in January by 35,585 to 4,674,598, while those unemployed decreased by 10,464 to 296,669. Since January 2020, the number of workers employed statewide decreased 212,718, while those unemployed increased 111,710.