Stanly County’s October unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, according to new county-specific data from the state’s Department of Commerce released earlier this month, a slight decrease from September, when the rate was 3.5 percent.

It’s the county’s lowest rate in more than two years. The last time the county was below 3.5 percent was February 2020, a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began, when it was also 3.4 percent. Before that, the last time was April 2019, when the rate was 3.3 percent.

A total of 30,085 people were employed for October, almost 100 more than in September, while only 1,010 people were unemployed, the lowest tally in more than a year.

Stanly appears to be in much better shape now than last October, when the rate was 5.5 percent and more than 1,500 people were without jobs.

“I’m very optimistic about the situation in Stanly County and the region,” said Gus Vanegas, leader of the NCWorks Career Center. He said that his office has not been getting as many calls concerning unemployment as it used to, “which is a good indicator that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Statewide, unemployment rates decreased in 83 counties in October. Eighty-seven counties, including Stanly, had rates below 5 percent in October, which was roughly the same as September.

The number of workers employed across the state increased by almost 20,000 over the month to roughly 4.88 million, while those unemployed decreased by 6,000 to roughly 185,000.

The federal unemployment rate in October fell to 4.6 percent from 4.8 percent in September, and the economy added 531,000 jobs, up from the 194,000 jobs added the month prior, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.