Source: Richard Craver, WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 1/23/12

Measuring the health of North Carolina's job market for 2011 comes down to which stick is being used.
The N.C. Commerce Department reported Tuesday the unemployment rate for December fell for the third consecutive month to 9.9 percent — down 0.1 percentage point. It is the first time the rate slipped below double digits since June.

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