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Unemployment remains even in Hunt County

By Scott Harvey

Hunt County – Even though Hunt County unemployment figures for December didn't go up, they didn't go down either.

The local unemployment rate remained unchanged between November and December, but dozens of jobs were lost from month to month and hundreds more people filed for unemployment last month than did in December 2007, according to the report last week from the Texas Workforce Commission.

The 6 percent unemployment rate in December for Hunt County is well above the 4.6 percent reported in December, 2007.

179 positions were reported lost over the span and a total of 2,369 people filed for unemployment in December. The county's Civilian Labor Force shrank month to month, from 39,874 in November to 39,682 in December, which helped keep the unemployment rate steady.

Hunt County is listed by the Texas Workforce Commission as part of the Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division, which also includes Dallas, Collin, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman and Rockwall counties.

Kaufman County posted the region's highest unemployment rate last month, at 6.5 percent. Denton County had the lowest rate for the month, at 5.2 percent. Dallas County was listed with 6.3 percent unemployment, Collin and Rockwall counties each posted 5.5 percent unemployment, while Delta and Ellis counties each recorded 5.9 percent unemployment in December.

Among other nearby counties, Fannin County posted a 7.2 percent unemployment rate during December, Hopkins County 4.7 percent, Lamar County 6 percent, Rains County 6.1 percent and Van Zandt County listed a 5.1 percent unemployment rate last month.