POLK COUNTY – Polk County ranked as the 21st lowest in the state with a 4 percent unemployment rate for the month of May, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Polk’s unemployment rate increased slightly from its April unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. A year ago, in May 2016, Polk County’s unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, according to the department of commerce.

Buncombe County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.3 percent in May, followed by Alexander County at 3.5 percent, Henderson and Granville counties at 3.6 percent and Orange, Wake, Chatham and Union counties at 3.7 percent.

Nearby Rutherford County ranked 87th in the state at 5.9 percent unemployment, while Transylvania County ranked 35th with a 4.2 percent unemployment rate and McDowell County ranked 16th with a 3.9 percent unemployment rate, according to the department of commerce.

Edgecombe and Scotland counties ranked 99th and 100th in the state with each having a 7.8 percent unemployment rate.

Unemployment rates, not seasonally adjusted, increased in 67 counties across the state in May, decreased in 13 counties and remain unchanged in 20 counties, according to department of commerce statistics.

The statewide unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in May.

Compared to a year ago, unemployment rates decreased in 97 counties across the state, increased in one and stayed the same in two counties.

The number of workers employed across the state increased in May by 5,145 to a total of 4,709,722, and those unemployed increased by 4,347 to 212,911. Since May 2016, the number of workers employed statewide has increased by 64,923 and those unemployed have decreased by 14,348 over the last year, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

In Polk County during the month of May, there were 8,984 people employed and 358 people unemployed.

The state unemployment rate is scheduled to be released on July 21 with individual county statistics to be released after that for June.