North Carolina's jobless rate remains near all-time high levels using the federal government's broadest measure of unemployment.
The state's jobless rate was 17.5 percent in the first quarter, according to the U6 index issued Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The U6 index includes people who are not counted in the more commonly used jobless measure: people who are forced to take part-time jobs because they can't find full-time work, and those who become so discouraged they stop looking for work.
The U6 index was first tracked in 2005 and remains relatively unknown, but some say it is a more accurate measure of the nation's economic situation than conventional jobless statistics, which showed a statewide jobless rate of 9.7 percent in March.
The U6 tends to be about 75 percent higher than the standard jobless index, known as the U3. The BLS calculates the U6 every quarter as an average over the previous 12 months, so the update issued Friday covers one year through March 31.
In raw numbers, the U6 measure counts 483,400 unemployed people in North Carolina along with 66,800 people who have stopped looking and 263,900 who are stuck in part-time jobs, for a total of 814,100. The standard U3 measure counts pegs the number of unemployed at 483,400.
North Carolina's U6 measure was among the highest in the nation for the first quarter. The highest was Nevada at 23.7 percent, followed by California at 22 percent.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
Jobless Rates
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 23:35 — woggie1Where are all the jobs Bev . and Alfred E. Obama have promised to open up with the 800 billion stimulus ? Just how many jobs did the "shovel ready " construction projects add ? With our rate one of the highest in the nation , where's the turn around that both have touted? With fuel prices jumping by leaps and bounds , that will only hurt the economy and help keep the jobless rate high .
Decades of Democrat 'leadership' brings us to this ...
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 15:26 — BitterEXdemocratgreat job democrackkks! OUTSTANDING! you must be thrilled!
Thanks for Finally Reporting the True NC Unemployment rate
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 13:51 — mike27513Murawski is finally regularly reporting the long term U6 rate instead of parroting the Short Term Unemployment rate U3. I wonder when the Powers that Be at the N&O will stop him?
The Jobs Gov. Dumplin' Perdue is doing a great job, as well as the "Community Organizer in Chief" Obama. Well what can you expect from Corrupt Democrat Politicians.
NC is in a bad situation. Textile, Furniture, manufacturing all being shipped off shore.
Tech Jobs the final saviour, being shipped to Asia- Think "Indian Business Machines"and Lenovo. Healthcare Rationing under Obamacare will shut down the last industry- Pharmaceuticals and BioTech.
Got to love the Change We Can Believe In!
The Communist Obama and the Democrat Communists
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 23:49 — mike27513Yes, USA TOADY..
Make sure you thank The Communist Obama and the Democrat Communists in you next Polit Bureau meeting.
Things were really booming
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:30 — Steven252525when he took over. I'm sure it is his fault. GOP keep your head in the sand and keep fighting the rich man's fight. I'm sure you will be rich one day.
Silly libtards
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 13:42 — SpocksBrainDidn't your mother ever tell you "two wrongs don't make a right"? To a liberal, pointing out that Bush did wrong somehow erases the fact that Barry did it too, just four times more of it, so that makes Barry right.
We will never get out from under this budget deficient as long as mental giants who believe two wrongs make a right are allowed to vote.
9/11 and Katrina happened on Bush's watch
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 15:58 — BradleysCreekoh, and the poor execution of one war and the instigation of another on false premises (and the resulting deaths and injuries). Lots of dead Americans.
But you say Obama's made "four times" the number of mistakes of Bush, in just three years. Really, there are other news sources besides Glenn Beck.
Question
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:49 — TheLibertineHow long did the democrats have control of the NC legislature?
a Republican president inherited surplus and left record deficit
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:26 — BradleysCreekBut let's not pay attention to such quaint things as facts, not when we can leave our television on Fox News 24/7.
The top 1% are brilliant. They get folks like some of our commenters to act against their own interests in every generation and direct their hate toward the latest manufactured group instead of where it really belongs. Is it Hispanics this time? Liberals? Non-"objectivists"?
I have to hand it to the global elite. They didn't get there by accident.
"direct their hate toward
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 12:24 — PhantomLord"direct their hate toward the latest manufactured group"
You mean like the evil top 1%?
Question
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:51 — TheLibertineHow long did the democrats control the House? the Senate? Just asking. (And I despised Bush, for the record.)
Thanks Barry!
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:10 — SpocksBrainOr whatever your real name is.
Hows that Hopey Changey and
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 10:46 — PhantomLordHows that Hopey Changey and Gov. Dumpling working out for ya?
A conundrum
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:53 — TheLibertineWhat's most perplexing is how many people would vote for her again were the elections held today.