CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - North Carolina's unemployment rate increased slightly to 9.6 percent in July but still remains below the rate from the same time last year. The rate increased from the 9.4 percent June figure, which had held steady for three months.
The state Commerce Department says the number of employed people decreased by almost 14,000 to about 4.2 million over the month but increased by about 49,000 over the past year.
Initial claims for unemployment insurance totaled more than 64,000, increasing by almost 18,000 from June. Almost 445,000 people were unemployed in North Carolina in July.
Industry experts say it's not unusual to see a slight spike in the summer months, for one, because of folks looking for seasonal work.
"At the height of the recession we lost nearly 300,000 jobs but since January 2010 we have gained 101, 000 back. So North Carolina is gaining those jobs back. It is just a slow process," Larry Parker with the North Carolina Employment Security Commission said.
"This is a very complex topic to talk about," Employment Specialist Jennifer Love Faulkner said. Faulkner has spent the last several years counseling folks looking for work.
She gives these simple tips for finding work:
-Develop concise resumes with simple, conversational language
-Work for free for a while - do internships or volunteer
-Discover unused skill sets (skills you may not have use in previous employment)
-Know whether you want a job or a career
And Faulkner says the number one way to find work is networking. "I think that is one thing I do a lot of counseling on..is really encouraging folks if stars don't align in this particular situation..you can't say I'm never going to be employed."
In South Carolina, the jobless rate has gone up for a third month in a row, rising slightly in July to 9.6 percent from June's 9.4 percent.
The state's Department of Employment and Workforce reported Friday there were about 4,000 more unemployed people in the state and about 11,000 fewer employed people. The agency says this pattern often occurs during the middle of the year.
May's rate of 9.1 percent was the first time South Carolina unemployment had gone up in 10 months.
The national unemployment rate in July increased to 8.3 percent from June's 8.2 percent.
Copyright 2012 WBTV. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
