NC jobless rate for October being released

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The almost daily news of layoffs at companies around North Carolina will be summarized into detailed data with the release of October’s unemployment figures.
    The figures released Friday are expected to reflect an economic picture that turned sharply worse in October. The month started with news of big banks like Wachovia in danger of collapse, drastic losses on Wall Street, and the historic $700 billion economic bailout.
    North Carolina’s unemployment rate climbed in September to 7 percent, a level last seen in January 2002 in the aftermath of the dot-com bust and Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.
    North Carolina’s unemployment rate has been higher than the national average since February.