The unemployment rate in Richmond County has increased a small percentage but job seekers may be getting mixed signals on what will happen next.

“There will be more opportunities for people within the next 60 to 90 days,” said Jackie Haliburton, Richmond County Employment Security Commissions Job Link manager.

But, Richmond County’s unemployment rate has climbed from 8.2 percent since December 2007, to 12.8 percent in June; .1 percent higher than it was in May. Surrounding counties, such as Scotland, had a rate of 16.3 in June, followed by Anson with 13.4 and Moore with 9.1.

The number of unemployed individuals in Richmond County has gone from 1,687 to 2,595 - a 54 percent increase. However, the new rate is a decrease from June 2009, when it was 13.4 percent.

“The unemployment rate is a flawed measure in that it only counts individuals who are jobless and actively seeking work,” said John Quinterno, a principal with South by North Strategies, Ltd., a research firm specializing in economic and social policy. “People who have stopped working or took a part time job despite needing a full-time one are not included.”

Some jobs that are available still may not be a good fit for some individuals because of the commute. There are 4,841 workers commuting into Richmond County and 8,572 that live here and are commuting outside Richmond County. That may be because the average weekly wage in Richmond County is $595 and the state average is $819.

“You really can’t estimate a job growth rate at the county level since the county is not a closed economy; people can work outside of the county,” Quinterno said. “In general, North Carolina, as a whole, needs to add 5,000 to 5,500 positions a month to keep pace with workforce growth; to replace lost jobs, we would need to add even more. The state is not near this point.”

But Haliburton is optimistic about Richmond County. He says that demand for different work forces such as hospitality and leisure, truck driving and local government are looking up.

“When the demand is up people tend to spend more,” he said.

“One of the big issues I’m concerned about is long-term unemployment,” Quinterno said. “Nationwide, nearly half of all unemployed workers have been out of work for at least 26 weeks. The longer the spell of unemployment, the harder it is to return to work at all or at a wage comparable to the one paid previously.”

Hollie Nivens can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or by e-mailing at hnivens@yourdailyjournal.com