Gaston County’s unemployment rate didn’t get any better, but it didn’t get any worse either, according to July unemployment figures released Wednesday.
Gaston County’s unemployment rate mirrored the month before with 10 percent of residents seeking jobs in July.
Cleveland County’s unemployment rate dipped slightly, from 10.5 percent unemployment in June to 10.4 percent unemployment in July.
Lincoln County’s unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.8 percent unemployment.
Remember all those people — nearly 1,700 in Gaston County — who lost federal emergency employment benefits July 1? They’re probably not going to show up in the unemployment figures right away, said Larry Parker, spokesman for the Division of Employment Security.
As long as those people are actively seeking work, they are considered a part of the labor force, he told me.
Parker also pointed out a common unemployment misconception. Not all of the folks listed on the unemployment roles are getting benefits.
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