http://66.225.205.104/0729UnemploymentUp.mp3
The Charlotte area's unemployment rate had been gradually improving but in June it jumped to 11.2 percent. The unemployment rate usually goes up in the summer as students and seasonal workers look for work. In the Charlotte area, unemployment increased by .6 percent between May and June. "It just increased a little bit more this year because businesses aren't adding as many jobs as they did in years past and we're seeing a lot of cuts at state and local governments," says Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner. The Charlotte region lost about 9,500 government jobs in June. But other industries saw boosts like leisure and hospitality and business services. The region's unemployment was at 11.8 percent in June of last year. This year it's at 11.2 percent. The region's unemployment peaked in February 2010 at 12.9 percent.