N.C. joblessness dips, barely

In February, North Carolina saw more jobs created than in any month since the economy bottomed in late 2009.

But there's still a long way to go on the road to recovery.

The state's unemployment rate remains above the national average, and job seekers say it does not seem that the economy is improving much.

According to data released Friday by the N.C. Employment Security Commission, the state's jobless rate declined to 9.7 percent last month from 9.8 percent in January.

In all, employers added 17,400 jobs. The largest gains were in construction, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality services.

"We've got gains across the board with the exception of government," said Mark Vit ner, senior economist for Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte. "We're now looking at job growth that's still very modest, but these numbers seem to match up with our sense that the economy is improving overall."

Still, with more than 435,000 North Carolina residents unemployed - and even more who stopped looking or took temporary jobs to make ends meet - it will take time for modest gains to have a big effect.

Kimberly Cheek has been looking for work in the nursing field for six months. Even in a high-demand field, Cheek has not had any luck.

"It's like I'm back at square one," she said. "Everyone is pretty much telling me the same thing as far as keep looking and we'll call you if something opens up."

From her perspective, the 30-year-old Raleigh resident said things do not appear to be getting better. Her husband was laid off from his job on a farm a year ago and is still looking.

"I'm cutting peoples' hedges, I'm willing to take anything," she said. "I've applied to Bojangles'. ... I have hope, but it's just that I hope something will fall in my lap."

With the unemployment rate so high, that may be unlikely to happen, Vitner said.

"Businesses are being much more selective than they have in the past, and workers are having to clear a much higher hurdle," he said. "Unfortunately, I don't see that changing any time soon."

Still, he said, North Carolina's economy seems to be moving in the right direction, if slowly.

While the state's unemployment rate remained higher than the national unemployment rate of 8.9 percent in February, metro areas including Raleigh and Charlotte are adding jobs.

And, this state's rate may remain high because of job seekers from other states who move here seeking opportunities.

"We certainly do import unemployment from other parts of the country," he said. "People just perceive things are going to be better here in the long-run than they are in the Northeast or the Midwest."

But for many workers, additional competition is not welcome news.

"It really makes me wonder what employers are looking for," said Alicia Joyner, a 41-year-old from Raleigh who has been looking for work since she was laid off by IBM in August. "I have a master's in history and I really think it depends what field you are in."

One month of positive news is not enough to erase the past several years of decline, said John Quinterno, a principal for South by North Strategies, a Chapel Hill research firm specializing in economic and social policy.

"We definitely saw for one month a pretty good number." he said. "Whether that's sustainable, I think that's the question."