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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina unemployment has slipped to it's lowest rate in over a year.

The state unemployment rate for the month of August is 9.7 percent. Officials estimate more than 18,000 jobs were added in the month of August with 4,800 jobs coming from the private sector. The Employment Security Commission is expected to release a more detailed report next week with unemployment rates detailed for each county.

School administrator Kay De Arco took a new job with the local school system on August 17. She feels there is better job security working for a local government agency.

"The economy, actually, is really rough,” said Kay De Arco. “So I would be adamant about taking any jobs in the private sector."

A year ago, unemployment stayed steady around 10.9 percent before climbing to 11.2 percent in February. The numbers started to drop in April, down to the lowest it has been since January of 2009. Officials with the Employment Security Commission said there is a healthy, but static economy in North Carolina which is helping to improve employment.

"You are also looking at an increase in temporary hiring as employers want to expand but are somewhat hesitant to take on full time employees and are dealing with temporary hires," said David Clegg, deputy chairman of the Employment Security Commission

Officials say all sectors saw a gain in employment except for leisure and travel industry and the mining and logging industry. The biggest gains came in education with the start of school in August.

Since July, Cumberland County Schools have hired 600 people and still have 20 positions to fill.

"We have a good number of teachers and candidates that we are in process of interviewing and hiring. So we have a good selection pool to look at,” said Dr Joseph Locklear, E.d.D. with Cumberland County Schools.

De Arco is happy to be one of thousands of North Carolinians to find a job while the economy is still recovering.