Polk County&39;s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in September, down from 5.2 percent in August. The N.C. Employment Security Commission showed Polk County with alabor force of 9,921 in September with 9,428 employmented and 493 unemployed. The 5.2 percent unemployment rate was the highest in Polk County since 2002. Polk was one of 77 counties in the state that saw a reduction in the jobless rate last month. The statewide unemployment rate also dropped 0.2 percent in September, from 6.8 to 6.6 percent. &uot;For the second consecutive month, many of the state&39;s counties experienced a decline in unemployment rates,&uot; said ESC Chairman Harry E. Payne Jr. &uot;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.&uot;&bsp;