From the state's Labor and Economic Analysis Division:

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased 0.2 of a percentage point in July to 9.6 percent. The national rate also experienced an increase in July, increasing to 8.3 percent. North Carolina’s July 2012 unemployment rate is 1.1 percentage points lower than a year ago.

“In July the private sector gained 16,000 jobs,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “When we focus on long-term growth, North Carolina has added more than 101,000 nonfarm jobs since January 2010. There continues to be a strong focus and commitment by our workforce partners and our employment service offices across our state to recruit jobs and to put people back to work in North Carolina.”

Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased by 1,800 to 3,956,700 in July. The major industry with the largest over-the-month increase was Leisure & Hospitality Services, which gained 5,900.