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Stanly County’s unemployment rate decreased from March to April, according to the latest figures released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Stanly’s rate in March was 3.2%, making the county the 16th lowest for unemployment in the state.

While the rate decreased to 2.8% in April, the county slipped back to 21st lowest among the 100 counties in the state.

There are 30,905 recorded in the county’s workforce and 875 among the unemployed.

The highest unemployment rate in the county since 2020 was in April of that year, when it jumped from 4.6% in March to 11.4% in April as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Last April, the rate was 2.9%.

For the state, 98 of the 100 counties saw a decrease in April 2023. Scotland County had the highest unemployment at 6.8%. Buncombe had the lowest at 2.4%.

The next unemployment update is scheduled for June 16 when the statewide rate for May will be announced.