N.C. official unemployment rate dips to 9.7 percent, still 10th-worst rate in the country

While the national official unemployment rate dipped below 9 percent in March, North Carolina still lags behind the national average.

The N.C. Employment Security Commission reports this morning a 9.7 percent unemployment rate for the Tar Heel State, down from the 9.8 percent rate in February. North Carolina ranks No. 10 in the nation with a rate 0.9 percentage points higher than the 8.8 percent national average. It’s the fourth straight month that North Carolina’s rate has topped the national rate.