North Carolina unemployment rate drops to 5.1 percent in May

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's unemployment rate has declined but still remains slightly above the national average.

The state's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for May, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Commerce. That's down from 5.4 percent in April.

The national rate, meanwhile, was 4.7 for May percent after a slight drop of its own.

North Carolina's rate has gradually come down over the past year. In May of 2015, the state unemployment rate was 5.8 percent.

Both the state and national jobless rates have been steadily improving since the Great Recession.

The state government says that the number of people employed increased by nearly 7,000 over the month, while the number unemployed decreased. The largest gains were reported in manufacturing, along with education and health services.

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