N.C. unemployment rises again

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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - North Carolina's unemployment rate rose in October to a disturbing 11 percent, adding urgency to a new debate about how much the U.S. government should be doing to get the problem under control.

North Carolina is now at the same unemployment rate it had in June.

Adding to the dilemma, is this--President Obama just signed a bill extending benefits to jobless people who've run the original course and still can't find work.

But state officials say it'll be six weeks before they can process the release of those extended checks.

The Employment Security Commission's Randall Darnell says he knows how badly thousands of people here need the government's new unemployment extension. "We're going to be programming those changes as quickly as possible," he says.

Still, he says those benefits will be wrapped in red tape for the next six weeks. "It may be a tough holiday season," he says.

Which may make it impossible for fathers like 30-year-old Robert to wrap red bows around any gifts for his kids. "I've got a six-year-old and a three-year-old," he told Business Reporter Melissa Hankins today as he stood in the unemployment line.

Robert doesn't want to even think about skipping Christmas. But toys for his tots...right now, that's out of the question.

"Every single penny I got, I've got to get food," he says.

Frieda Wilson, who also stood in line today, can relate. "I constantly pray about it, and read the bible," she said. "My thing is my two girls."

Wilson lost her job at Wachovia six months ago, and still can't find any kind of new position.

"It's like your application sits out in this black hole, and you never hear anything," she says.

Adds Robert: "One way or another, you know, we just got to be strong."

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