By Brandon Shanesy

brandon.shanesy@tryondailybulletin.com

 

The North Carolina Department of Commerce reported Polk County as one of 30 counties in the state to boast an unemployment rate under five percent for April. Statewide, 89 counties saw decreases while six experienced an increase in unemployment.

 

Polk County dropped .2 percent from 4.8 percent in March to 4.6 percent for April. The unemployment rate for Polk in April of 2014 was 4.7 percent, thus a .1 percent decrease over the year according to the N.C. Department of Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis Division’s June 3 media release.

 

Polk is currently tied for the eighth lowest unemployment rate in the state, and compares very favorably to the state average of 5.2 percent; which also dropped .2 percent in April.

 

The national rate at 5.4 percent remained unchanged.

 

In April, Polk boasted a work force of 8,485 with 392 unemployed.

 

Orange and Buncombe counties posted the lowest unemployment rates in North Carolina at 3.9 percent, while Graham County had the highest at 12.8 percent.

 

The next unemployment update from the N.C. Department of Commerce is scheduled for Friday, June 19, 2015, releasing the May 2015 figures.