Triad unemployment rate drops slightly in February

The unemployment rate for the 12-county Piedmont Triad region was 5.1 percent in February, down slightly from 5.2 percent in January, according to data released Friday by the state's Employment Security Commission.

Rates fell in half of the 12 counties, while rising in four Triad counties and being unchanged in two. North Carolina had an overall unemployment rate of 4.5 percent in February, down from 4.6 percent in January and the lowest rate since January 2001. The state data was also released on Friday.

In the 12-county Triad, about 41,600 people were registered as unemployed during February of a total labor force of more than 820,000.

Among the Triad's three metropolitan areas, the Burlington metro had a higher rate than the Triad, at 5.3 percent. The Greensboro-High Point metro had an unmeplyment rate of 5.1 percent, while the Winston-Salem metro was at 4.4 percent. The Triangle region continues to boast the lowest unemployment rates in the state, with the Raleigh-Cary metro area having a 3.7 percent unemployment rate and Durham posting 3.9 percent unemployment in February.

Here's a county-by-county breakdown of unemployment rates for the 12-county Triad for February, compared to January:

Alamance: 5.3 percent, down from 5.6 percent;
Caswell: 7.4 percent, unchanged from January;
Davidson: 5.9 percent, down from 6.3 percent;
Davie: 4.5 percent, up from 4.2 percent;
Forsyth: 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent;
Guilford: 5.0 percent, up from 4.9 percent;
Montgomery: 6.6 percent, unchanged;
Randolph: 4.6 percent, down from 5.0 percent;
Rockingham: 6.8 percent, up from 6.7 percent;
Stokes: 4.9 percent, down from 5.1 percent;
Surry: 5.5 percent, down from 5.7 percent; and,
Yadkin: 4.6 percent, up from 4.5 percent.