Unemployment in Moore County dropped slightly in September, according to the data from the Employment Securities Commission of North Carolina (ESC).

The unemployment rate dropped from 6.5 percent in August to 6.4 percent last month. The state average dropped from 6.8 percent to 6.6 percent.

Craig McIntosh, manager of the ESC office in Aberdeen, cautioned against getting too excited about the slight decrease.

"Even though it has dropped, I don't find it encouraging," he said.

McIntosh said the ESC still has a lot of names in its database, but employers are being "picky" about who they are hiring. The lack of construction jobs continues to be problematic in this area.

McIntosh said it is hard to predict when things would turn around. He said the election next week could provide some insight about the direction of the country, but it still could be a while before some solid answers are given.

According to the ESC, 2,449 residents are unemployed in Moore County.

Unemployment rates decreased in 77 of the state's 100 counties. Unemployment rates decreased in all 14 metropolitan areas statewide. Rates increased in 14 counties and remained the same in nine.

"For the second consecutive month, many of the state's counties experienced a decline in unemployment rates," ESC chairman Harry E. Payne Jr. said. "The impact of the national economy on our state has been far-reaching. While rates are down in many of our counties in September, some counties continue to struggle with unemployment."

Forty-five counties were at or below the state's unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.6 percent, which decreased from 6.8 percent in August.

The unemployment total in September was 300,308 residents, compared with 312,013 in August.

Currituck County had the state's lowest unemployment rate, at 3.6 percent, in September. Meanwhile, Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate, at 11.7 percent.

Moore County had the third-lowest unemployment rate among its neighbors. Chatham and Hoke Counties posted lower numbers, at 5.5 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.

Richmond County had the highest rate at 9.5 percent, followed by Montgomery County at 8.3 percent, Lee County at 8.2 percent, Harnett County at 7.1 percent, Cumberland County at 6.8 percent, and Randolph County at 6.7 percent.

Contact John Krahnert III at 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.