The Nantahala region is seeing more people employed and a declining unemployment rate. | Pixabay
The Nantahala region is seeing more people employed and a declining unemployment rate. | Pixabay
While economic indicators for the Nantahala region are down versus last year, the latest round of statistics shows promise of recovery.
The Southwestern Workforce Development Board released in August statistics that show the number of people unemployed is declining in many regions, but also the country as a whole.
"Check out these statistics just released from the Southwestern Workforce Development Board Labor Marker," Rep. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee) said in a July 30 Facebook post. "This overview reflects numbers from June 2020."
Unemployment is declining in the Nantahala region. For June, unemployment was at 7.8%, which is down from 14.3%. The Nantahala region's unemployment is slightly better than the state's 7.9% and well below the national 11.2% average, the report found.
The unemployment rate translates to an additional 3,587 people working in June versus May, but is still down by 4,532 employees compared to June 2019, the report found. The same trend is found when looking at the Asheville metro area job growth. While there were 10,400 more jobs added in June over May, it is 19,500 fewer hires compared to June 2019.
Unemployment rates on a per-county basis are also showing declines, the report found. Cherokee County is at 7.8%, Clay County at 7.3%, Macon County at 6.6%, Jackson County at 8.1%, Haywood County at 8.1%, Swain County at 8% and Graham County at 9.3%.
The June job gains have come from multiple positions and industries. MedWest added the most with 162 jobs, Western Carolina University added 141 and LifePoint Health had 126, the report found.
Registered Nursing added 139 new workers and first-line supervisors, food prep. resulted in 121 new jobs, the report found.
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