Oct. 24--Alamance County's unemployment rate dropped to 11.8 percent in September.

That was down from 12.1 percent in August, according to figures released Friday by the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina.

The state says Alamance County's 11.8 percent unemployment rate is based on a work force of 70,747 people, with 64,412 people employed and 8,335 unemployed.

Alamance County is one of 55 counties with an unemployment rate higher than the state's rate of 10.4 percent.

Unemployment went down in September in 76 of the state's 100 counties.

Projections from the Employment Security Commission indicate government and education/ health services jobs increased in the Burlington area during September, while job losses continued in areas such as trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and financial activities.

Larry Parker, a spokesman for the state ESC, said the increase in government-related jobs is likely connected to people working in school systems, colleges and universities.

Parker said the unemployment situation in North Carolina and many of its counties appears to have settled into a holding pattern, rather than moving sharply in one direction or another.

"We're still seeing some layoffs," he said, "but we have seen some job announcements and we've seen some people going back to work."

Among nearby counties:

Caswell County's unemployment rate was 12.4 percent in September, down from 13.1 percent in August.

Guilford County's unemployment rate was 11 percent, down from 11.4 percent in August.

Orange County's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down from 6.8 percent in August.

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