(AP) -- RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - People without jobs and politicians alike are waiting to see the final report on unemployment in North Carolina before next month's elections.
The Employment Security Commission discloses the unemployment rate for September on Friday.
The jobless rate had declined for six straight months as of August, when it fell to 9.7 percent. It was the second month below 10 percent after 16 months in double-digits. The state's jobless rate during the national recession that began in December 2007 peaked at 11.2 percent in February.
North Carolina's unemployment rate remained higher than the national figure of 9.6 percent for August. The state rate has topped the national figure since February 2008.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
