Unemployment rates in Yadkin County held steady in the month of July, dropping only a percentage point from 9.2 percent in June to 9.1 percent, according to a recent report by the NC Employment Security Commission.

Steve Hodge of Yadkinville's ESC office said that, despite the small statistical decrease, Yadkin County unemployment figures have landed consistently in the same range for the past few months.

“We haven't noticed any change one way or another. (Unemployment rates) have been holding steady for some time now,” said Hodge.

Hodge also said that the county's July unemployment rate does not reflect temporary jobs lost earlier this summer due to the release of U.S. Census workers or jobs relating to summer employment.

A stable unemployment rate, however, is not necessarily a good sign for Yadkin County's economy. While Yadkin's 9.1 percent unemployment rate is lower than that of neighboring counties, including Surry, Wilkes, Forsyth and Davie, there are, according to Hodge, few indicators to make one believe that unemployment will drop measurably in the near future.

“Jobs have picked up a little here but not enough to make a large difference,” said Hodge. “We've got people who have been out of work since 2008 but still haven't found employment.”

One factor that might shape Yadkin County's unemployment rate in the next few months is the number of people whose unemployment extensions are now drawing to an end. According to Hodge, several people are the position where their unemployment extensions are running out, but this number is indeterminate at the present and cannot be accounted for with the ESC.

Hodge said that these people have yet to get back to work, and therefore, the county unemployment rate could vary in the coming months depending on their ability to re-enter the workforce.

Yadkin County's unemployment rate of 9.1 percent for the month of July was below the statewide figure of 9.9 percent. Yadkin was also one of 86 counties in the state to see a drop in unemployment during the month of July. North Carolina, similar to Yadkin County, saw a slight drop in its July unemployment rate from 10.2 percent in the month of June.

While data must be gathered in the coming months to analyze any trends in unemployment in Yadkin County and across the state, Hodge hopes for signs of improvement.

Said Hodge, “I don't see any big change coming myself, but I hope I'm wrong in a good way... It's still pretty rough out there.”