The Triad’s unemployment rate continued on a recent upward trend, rising to 4.3% during August related to churn in the labor force, the N.C. Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The Triad had a month-over-month decrease of 6,588 in the labor force to 817,016, along with a 1,227 increase in those considered as unemployed to 33,502.

The unemployment rate usually is affected by workers being hired or their jobs being eliminated. Those voluntarily leaving the workforce, which means they are no longer counted as unemployed.

The Triad’s jobless rate had ranged in the mid-to-high 3% range for most of the past 12 months after nearing a three-year high of 4.6% in August 2024.

Only Watauga County of the 14 Triad and northwest N.C. counties experienced a month-over-month rate decrease.

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