Area job seekers will soon have four new places to go for help.

Four new NC SHARE Network Access Points will open on June 24 at 11 a.m. to offer people help with the JobLink system. Trained volunteers will also offer people help with things like obtaining references, resume preparation and online job hunting.

The four access points are a partnership between Capital Area Workforce Development Board, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Division of Employment and Training, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and North Carolina Division of Workforce Development. They will be located at:

• Family Life Center, Inc., 909 East Lee St., Smithfield
• First Reformed Church of Cary, 555 SW Maynard St., Cary
• Literacy Council of Wake County, 916 West Morgan St., Raleigh
• The Life Enrichment Center, Inc., 3805 Tarheel Club Road, Raleigh

Area job seekers will soon have four new places to go for help.

Four new NC SHARE Network Access Points will open on June 24 at 11 a.m. to offer people help with the JobLink system. Trained volunteers will also offer people help with things like obtaining references, resume preparation and online job hunting.

The four access points are a partnership between Capital Area Workforce Development Board, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Division of Employment and Training, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and North Carolina Division of Workforce Development. They will be located at:

• Family Life Center, Inc., 909 East Lee St., Smithfield
• First Reformed Church of Cary, 555 SW Maynard St., Cary
• Literacy Council of Wake County, 916 West Morgan St., Raleigh
• The Life Enrichment Center, Inc., 3805 Tarheel Club Road, Raleigh

The Triangle's unemployment rate dropped from 8.8 percent in March to 8.6 percent in April.

This morning, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported that the employment rate went down in 99 of the state's 100 counties, with the only exception being Wilson County. The figures reported by the state are not seasonally adjusted, but The News & Observer reports figures that have been adjusted by Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner said the seasonally adjusted figures give a more accurate representation of job growth. The nonseasonally adjusted numbers from the state showed the Triangle rate dropping from 8.7 percent to 8.1 percent.

"We’re making headway," he said. "We’re adding jobs and we think we’re well on our way. ... The unemployment rate always declines from March to April. We have a lot of economic activity that picks up in the spring. As the days get longer and there’s more sunlight, more building activity takes place. You can clean up after any damage that happened in the winter. Spring break happens so hiring picks up at hotels and restaurants. Baseball starts."

Indeed, the Triangle has seen some increase in areas like construction. Some retailers, including CVS and Walgreens are expanding, and the number of new homes started in the Triangle jumped by 74 percent in the first quarter compared with the first quarter of 2009, according to research firm Metrostudy.

For the second straight month, the state's unemployment rate showed improvement, declining from 11.1 percent in March to 10.8 percent in April.

New figures released from the N.C. Employment Security Commission this morning showed that non-farm employment rose by 7,500 jobs in April. Sectors that showed improvement included professional and business services and government jobs. However, other areas still struggled. The leisure and hospitality business showed a decline of 3,100 jobs, as did trade, transportation and utilities.

Still, ESC Chairman Lynn Holmes heralded the new rate as positive news.

"While overall job growth is up and the unemployment rate is slightly lower, we still face challenges in this tough economy," she said. "We will still be working — as always — with customers across the state in numerous ways to provide benefits and job search help."

A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers report  found that 5.3 percent more new graduates will be hired this year than in 2009. While that news is encouraging those students will be competing with thousands of people who have much more work experience.

Ford Myers, career coach and author of 'Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring,' (John Wiley and Sons, 2009) recently offered up a list of 10 items every new college graduate should have in their 'job seekers' tool kit.'

1. Accomplishment stories. Write five or six compelling stories about school or work-related tasks that made you proud.

2. Positioning statement. Prepare and practice a 15-second commercial about who you are, what you've done academically and professionally that's applicable, and the particular strengths you can contribute to an employer.

3. Professional biography. Write a one-page narrative of your career.

4. Target list. Make a wish list of adjectives that would describe your ideal employer, such as size, location, industry, culture, environment, etc. Then research specific organizations that meet those criteria, and put them on a list of 35 to 50 target
companies.

5. Contact list. Compile a list of all the people you know personally and professionally.

6. Professional/academic references. List colleagues or professors who would sing your praises if asked about you. Contact each and get approval to use their names on your list of references.

7. Letters of recommendation. Request letters from four or five respected business colleagues or professors printed on their professional letterhead.

8. Networking agenda. Write out a full networking discussion or script so you will know exactly how to manage the networking discussion.

9. Tracking system. Keep a detailed record of your job search activities, including phone calls, meeting notes and correspondence.

10. Resume. It has to be great. Be sure it is carefully edited and succinct (no more than two pages) with a layout that is easy for the eye to follow.

The Triangle's unemployment rate remained at 8.9 percent in March, a sign that the region's dramatic rise in unemployment is likely coming to an end.

"There's some genuine improvement that's taking place out there," said Mark Vitner, senior economist for Wells Fargo in Charlotte. "There seems to be some more interest in hiring workers but folks are not doing so in a huge way just yet."

On Friday, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported that the unemployment rate for the Raleigh-Durham-Cary market was 8.7 percent, down from 9.4 percent in February. But those figures are not seasonally adjusted.

The News & Observer reports seasonally adjusted figures from Wells Fargo.

Vitner said there is typically a large drop this time of year in unemployment rates that are not seasonally adjusted. That drop reflects the natural increase in economic activity that comes with more daylight and improving weather.

"The question is how much, more or less, is it picking up this spring compared to other springs," Vitner said.

The state unemployment rate was 11.1 percent in March.

Raleigh and Charlotte continue to be the largest job-creation centers, Vitner said. From December 2009 to December 2010, he predicts the two regions will add 15,000 to 18,000 jobs each - about three-quarters of the state's total job growth.

The state's jobless rate dropped slightly to 11.1 percent in March, as North Carolina's economy continues to heal from the recession.

The state gained about 3,300 jobs in March, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported this morning. The report showed an improvement from February, when the state rate was 11.2 percent, the highest level since at least 1976.

But North Carolina's jobless rate remains well above the national rate, which held steady at 9.7 percent in March.

The number of unemployed people across the state dropped by 2,794 to 507,686 in March.

"We need to see a more consistent pattern of growth in our job sectors in the coming months before we can be sure this is a sign of sustained growth," said ESC chairman Lynn Holmes, in a prepared statement.

A coalition of community organizers implored Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday to address the dire economic straits of poor people in this state who have been disproportionately affected by the recession.

Representatives of the group, calling itself HK on J, held a jobs forum in Raleigh and said that the unemployment rate among minorities and the poor is at least twice as high as the 11.2 percent statewide average. HK on J stands for "Historic Thosands on Jones Street" and includes the NAACP, NC Justice Center, AFL-CIO and NC Institute for Minority Economic Development, among some 90 members.

Perdue attended a portion of the morning meeting at the Martin Street Baptist Church and said she disputed the official jobless rate for African Americans, about 14.5 percent, and for Hispanics, about 13.5 percent.

"I think it's much higher," Perdue said. "You can't trust any of these unemployment figures."

The Triangle's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.9 percent in February.

The new rate was reported this morning by the N.C. Employment and Security Commission, but that data is not seasonally adjusted. The News & Observer reports seasonally adjusted data from Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

"I'm encouraged by the latest unemployment numbers because they show some signs that they may be leveling off," said Mark Vitner, senior economist for Wells Fargo. "I certainly think the worst has passed, and my general sense is that hiring is beginning to pick up. But we're still seeing a lot of layoffs out there."

Triangle unemployment fell slightly in January, moving from 9.0 to 8.9 percent.

The change may reflect the beginning of a turnaround for the economy, though economists caution that it's too early to assume the unemployment peak has passed -- especially since workers who have quit their job searches tend to re-start them when there signs of improvement, actually driving up the unemployment rate temporarily.

The N.C. Employment Security Commission reported this morning that the unemployment rate rose in 99 of North Carolina's 100 counties. However, seasonally adjusted data from Wells Fargo in Charlotte reflects a decrease in the unemployment rates for both the Triangle and Charlotte.

"I think that we're probably very close to the peak," said Wells Fargo senior economist Mark Vitner. It may rise as more people reenter the workforce, but it's not likely to go up that much from here unless we really suffer a serious setback in the economy."