The latest unemployment numbers were released this week by the North Carolina Department of Commerce Labor & Economic Analysis Division. The statistics in this week’s report show the February unemployment rates.

Catawba County’s unemployment rate is 3.3 percent, down from 3.4 percent in January. Alexander County shows a 3.1 percent jobless rate, down from 3.2 percent in the last report. Burke County’s unemployment rate is 3.3 percent, unchanged from the January update. Caldwell County’s jobless rate increased slightly, from 3.4 percent in January to 3.5 percent in the current report.

The unemployment rate for the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area or MSA is 3.3 percent, down from 3.4 percent in January. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton is tied with Wilmington for the fourth lowest unemployment rate among 15 MSAs in the state.

The statewide unemployment rate is 3.6 percent, down from 3.7 in the last report. Unemployment rates decreased in 74 of North Carolina’s counties, increased in five, and remained unchanged in 21. Hyde County has the highest unemployment rate in North Carolina at 10.6 percent, Orange County shows the lowest at 2.8 percent.