More bad news for unemployed in the Triad

Posting for Keith T. Barber...

Unemployment rates continued to soar statewide in January and the Triad area was no exception, according to figures released by the Employment Security Commission on March 19. The Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point area’s combined unemployment rate jumped to 10.4 percent in January from 8.5 percent in December. The Winston-Salem metro area, which includes Forsyth, Davie, Stokes and Surry counties, went from 7.6 percent unemployment to 9.3 percent with a total of 4,500 jobs lost. Greensboro and High Point’s unemployment rate increased from 8.6 percent to 10.5 percent with a total of 10,400 jobs lost. Guilford County distributed $9.7 million in unemployment benefits in January, while Forsyth distributed $5.5 million. The true number of unemployed in the Triad is much greater, said Archie Hicks, director of the Forsyth agency. Unemployment figures are based on numbers of people actively seeking employment and receiving unemployment benefits. Workers who have been laid off and taken part-time jobs as well as job seekers who have simply given up would not be included in the statistics, he said. The state agency expects to distribute $200 million in unemployment benefits as part of the economic stimulus package passed by Congress last month.