by Kirk Gollwtizer

Despite the fact that employment statistics are difficult to interpret, Polk County continues to sit favorably in North Carolina.

According to the N.C. Department of Commerce for August 2013, the unemployment rate for Polk County is 6.2 percent compared to 8.4 percent a year ago. Rutherford County reported 11.4 percent. Scotland County has the highest unemployment rate at 15.2 percent, while Currituck County reports the lowest at 4.1

Many consider Polk County’s employment statistic as being good news, especially since “full-employment” is considered to be 5.0 percent. However, on a national scale North Carolina’s 8.7 percent unemployment rate is among the worst in the country, ranking 44th out of the 51 published.

Counting the employed, self-employed, unemployed, underemployed, semi-retired and comfortably retired is close to impossible, requiring the conclusions to be mathematically adjusted for error.

Only 47.6 percent of Polk County’s civilian labor force actually work within the borders of Polk County. Many others must travel outside the county for work.

For those who fall into the 6.2 percent of unemployed workers or for those underemployed, Sandra Miller Camp; ‎manager at Division of Workforce Solutions, said there are resources to find quality jobs.

In August of this year, the N.C. Department of Commerce (NCDOC) implemented NCWorks, an online one-stop job search system dedicated to help job seekers and employers in North Carolina. NCWorks is an integrated database designed and installed by Geographic Solutions Inc. The system is a powerful tool whose data is monitored and validated by NCDOC.

Job seekers can log into the system using their own usernames and passwords and search for jobs that closely fit their skills. The system is also designed to notify the users if and when a new job is posted matching their search criteria.

Miller said NCWorks is providing much needed assistance to those seeking employment. The same system is being used in other states including Georgia, Minnesota and Iowa and showing positive results. For more information on NCWorks, visit www.ncworks.gov.