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by MARILYN PAYNE
Intern News Reporter
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released statistics Nov. 6 showing the nation’s unemployment rate standing at 10.2 percent for October.
This outstanding number comes in as the highest level of unemployment the United States has seen since 1983 when the number was 10.8 percent.
As the country’s unemployment rate continues to rise despite the rebounding economy, Watauga County is maintaining the low level of unemployed residents that it has strived toward for years.
“Watauga County
enjoys a relatively low unemployment rate due in large part to a
diversified labor force that is not dependent on manufacturing,” Dawn
Boyer, a manager at the Watauga County Employment Security Commission
said. “Watauga County’s workforce is largely centered around tourism,
service occupations, higher education and the medical industry.”
In
comparison to the North Carolina unemployment rate of 10.4 percent for
September, the Watauga County unemployment rate stood at 6.9 percent.
This was also the lowest unemployment rate for the county in 2009.
“Looking
at past unemployment rates, Watauga County has had a lower unemployment
rate compared to the surrounding counties for several years,” Boyer
said.
The
Watauga County Employment Security Commission is part of the JobLink
Career Center, a business which provides supportive services for job
seekers and employers in the Watauga County Area. The building is
located off of Blowing Rock Road on Winklers Creek Road.
For
Appalachian State University students, the Office of Student Employment
provides jobs and employment services, including odd jobs and regular
employment, similar to those of the Watauga County ESC.
“For the
moment we are paying between 2,500 to 3,000 students on a bi-weekly
basis,” Stephanie S. Hickey, Student Employment coordinator said. “Food
Services employs the most students.”
Students
interested in working on campus can get information from the center’s
Web site or visit the Student Employment Center located in the John E.
Thomas building.
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