Edgecombe County's unemployment rate is 10.5 percent, the highest it has been in five years. It is the second highest unemployment rate in North Carolina, according to statistics released Friday from the state’s Employment Security Commission.

Edgecombe’s unemployment rate increased 0.6 percent to 10.5 percent in June. Edgecombe's rate is second only to Scotland County’s 10.7 percent. They were also 1-2 in May. These are the only two of North Carolina's 100 counties at 10 percent or above. Fourteen counties have rates of 5 percent or below and the remaining 84 counties have rates between 5 and 10 percent.

Curritick County again had the state's lowest unemployment rate at 3.4 percent.

"The effect of the national economy is being felt in all of North Carolina's 100 counties," said ESC Chairman Harry Payne. "While the number of counties that had increasing rates is fewer than the previous month, we see that the rising price of gasoline is having an impact on the labor force.

“While our commission offices still receive job orders from employers, the pace has dropped. Even during the busy summer months, it appears employers have reduced hiring, making it a much tighter job market.”

Edgecombe's neighboring counties each increased their jobless rates, also. Halifax increased 0.5 percent to 8.6 percent; Martin went up 0.4 percent to 6.7 percent; Nash increased 0.5 percent to 8.1 percent; Pitt went up 0.7 percent to 7.2 percent; and Wilson went up 0.5 percent to 8.4 percent.

Forty-six counties were at or below the state’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.2 percent.