Vital signs.

• Position: Statistical data

EMPLOYMENT Latest Previous Previous Change from month month year last year Employed (000s) 4,373.3 4,363.0 4,317.0 1.3% Civilian labor force 4,667.9 4,660.1 4,717.3 (1.0) Manufacturing 443.1 442.4 442.5 0.1 Service 3,473.0 3,454.8 3,414.6 1.7 Government 715.1 715.7 717.3 (0.3) Unemployed 294.7 297.1 400.3 (26.4) Avg. manufacturing 43.9 39.7 40.8 7.6 workweek (hours) Avg. hourly $16.74 $16.35 $16.73 0.1 production wage $23,371

Per capita net benefit of immigrants to the state's economy in 2010, according to an April UNC Chapel Hill study commissioned by Raleigh-based North Carolina Bankers Association

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE Higher than previous month Below 6.0% 10.0%-11.9% Lower 6.0%-7.9% 12.0%-13.9% Same 8.0%-9.9% 14.0% and above Source: Division of Employment Security, March TAXABLE RETAIL SALES (1) Latest Previous Previous Change from month month year last year (millions) Alamance $138,571.3 $124,050.8 $125,083.3 10.8% Buncombe 263,883.9 240,819.8 249,364.8 5.8 Cabarrus 198,250.4 172,378.2 194,597.9 1.9 Catawba 136,952.0 119,450.0 135,301.1 1.2 Cumberland 287,343.5 226,044.8 285,862.4 0.5 Durham 411,543.3 394,347.7 355,484.8 15.8 Forsyth 319,419.0 289,234.6 311,212.2 2.6 Gaston 127,600.1 11 1,865.2 123,281.9 3.5 Guilford 438,778.5 406,476.2 430,243.8 2.0 Iredell 134,452.2 118,536.8 126,580.7 6.2 Mecklenburg 1,235,098.8 1,149,327.0 1,168,696.8 5.7 New Hanover 239,549.0 213,999.9 229,041.0 4.6 Onslow 142,352.9 114,033.5 143,316.5 (0.7) Pitt 147,453.1 129,260.2 145,089.2 1.6 Wake 898,188.6 825,081.8 861,597.3 4.2 N.C. STATE UNIVERSITY INDEX OF ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The index, a comparison of the state economy from month to month created by N.C. State economist Michael Walden, is calculated from the Economic Cycle Research Institute's Weekly Leading Index, North Carolina initial claims for unemployment benefits, North Carolina building permits and average weekly work hours and earnings for Tar Heel manufacturing workers. Raw data, which is seasonally adjusted, comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S...