Unemployment rates in five High Country counties dropped month over month from August to September and stayed the same in two counties according to data released Oct. 23 by the N.C. Employment Security Commission. The region’s unemployment rate in September was 10.1 percent, the lowest it has been in 2009.

The rate of decline in the unemployment numbers has slowed, however. In the July-August timeframe, the decrease in unemployment rates in the seven High Country counties ranged from 1.5% to 0.3%. In the August-September timeframe, the highest decrease was 0.3%:

Alleghany – 10.9% (a 0.3% decrease from August)

Ashe – 10.0% (no change from August)

Avery – 7.9% (a 0.1% decrease from August)

Mitchell – 11.0% (a 0.2% decrease from August)

Watauga – 6.9% (a 0.2% decrease from August)

Wilkes – 12.9% (no change from August)

Yancey – 10.9% (a 0.3% decrease from August)

Part of the reason for September’s decrease is the number of people who have exhausted their Unemployment Insurance benefits. In the last 60 days, 156 UI recipients in the seven High Country counties have come to the end of their benefit period, and another 248 will exhaust their benefits in the next 60 days, based on data provided by the Employment Security Commission:

On September 23, The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to provide 13 weeks of additional benefits to workers in high unemployment states, including North Carolina, but the legislation has encountered opposition in the Senate.

“Workforce development professionals across the region are concerned about the families who have already lost their benefits and the families who will lose their benefits around the holidays,” said Workforce Director Carole Coates. “But these numbers tell only part of the story. An estimated 250,000 unemployed people in North Carolina are not even eligible for UI benefits and have no safety net at all. The N.C. Division of Workforce Development, the Rural Center, the ASU Center for Entrepreneurship and our JobLink partners have implemented a number of programs to connect people with help and to get folks back to work.

“In early November, the Division of Workforce Development will roll out a statewide initiative to connect North Carolina families with a variety of resources, including foreclosure help, discounted food, free prescription medication and assistance with preparing resumes and completing applications for financial aid. That help will be provided via a toll-free number through a central call center that has access to every resource that is available locally,” Coates explained.

“In terms of training, all of our community colleges have rolled out their JobsNOW 12 in 6 programs that provide intensive training in high-growth career fields and work readiness skills that students can complete in 6 months or less,” Coates continued. “Many of these programs focus on green jobs and healthcare, two fields that have excellent long-term job potential. In fact, just this week Vice President Joe Biden released the Recovery Through Retrofit report that calls for eliminating the barriers that have until now kept the home energy efficiency retrofit market small. And with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding we have received, Workforce Investment Act money is available to pay for training.

“For those who are interested in exploring self-employment as an option, the Rural Center offers Project GATE, ASU’s Start Your Own Business workshop series begins in Wilkes County on Oct. 27, and our community colleges offer a number of excellent and highly targeted workshops for potential entrepreneurs. All of these programs are completely free.

“The Employment Security Commission is offering weekly employability classes at the JobLink Career Centers. These one-on-one classes are designed to help people polish their resumes, expand their job search and practice answering interview questions before they go for an interview.

“In addition, a group of unemployed professionals has begun meeting every other Tuesday at the Watauga County JobLink Career Center to share job leads, provide resume and interview critiques, and offer support. The group’s next meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5:00 p.m.,” Coates said.

For more information about any of these resources, click to www.RecoveryInTheHighCountry.com or call your county’s JobLink Career Center.