A monthly snapshot of North Carolina's economy.

• Position: NC TREND: Vital signs - Brief article - Statistical data

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYED Aug 2015 4.49m 21% Aug 2016 4.59m CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE Aug 2015 4.76m 99% Aug 2016 4.81m UNEMPLOYED Aug 2015 270,988 (18.1)% Aug 2016 221,746 COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HIGHEST Scotland 8.8% Edgecombe 8.5 Wilson 8.2 Halifax 7.9 Vance 7.4 LOWEST Buncombe 3.9% Dare 4.1 Wake 4.2 Chatham 4.3 Henderson 4.3 Note: Table made from bar graph. TAXABLE RETAIL SALES (MILLION) Aug 16 Aug 15 % change Mecklenburg $1,684.0 $1,592.6 5.7% Wake 1,216.7 1,164.4 4.5 Guilford 563.6 524.5 7.4 Durham 540.7 506.6 6.7 Forsyth 416.3 395.8 5.2 Buncombe 424.0 389.9 8.7 New Hanover 401.0 361.8 10.8 Cumberland 322.1 306.4 5.1 Cabarrus 257.9 249.9 3.2 Dare 255.8 231.0...