By Connie Sage
Correspondent
Dare County's unemployment rate soared to 17.3 percent in January, the highest of any of North Carolina's 100 counties.
The Outer Banks typically has a high unemployment rate in the off-season, but this is considerably higher than usual, said Liz Gottermeyer, a county Employment Security Commission counselor.
A slowdown in construction in the Outer Banks "has pretty much affected every single aspect of our economy," Gottermeyer said.
By comparison, Dare County's jobless rate was 10.2 percent in January 2008, she said. The unemployment rate was in the single digits in January 2007 and January 2006.
The county jobless rate was 12.1 percent in December.
Every county in North Carolina saw an increase in joblessness from December to January, with nearly three-quarters of the counties showing double-digit unemployment in January, according to statistics released Thursday by the Employment Security Commission in Raleigh.
The state unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, its highest since March 1983.
"Everybody has had to shift their business model," said Carolyn McCormick, managing director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. "A lot of businesses in the tourism basket have fallen victim to the recession that we're all facing."
The Visitors Bureau is funded by a 1 percent occupancy tax and a 1 percent prepared-meal tax. Revenues were $5.2 million for the 2007- 08 fiscal year, she said. For the 2009- 10 fiscal year, which starts July 1, McCormick projects revenues will be reduced by $600,000.
"The numbers of people inquiring about the Outer Banks are strong, but people are looking for affordable accommodations," McCormick said. Oceanfront houses that rent for $10,000 to $15,000 a week aren't being booked, she said.
Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce President John Bone said the Create the Future Web site will be unveiled April 2 to give people in the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina an opportunity to discuss "who we are, what's possible and where we're going."
Still, Bone doesn't expect the local economy to recover quickly.
It will be a "long slog to get out of this mess," he said.
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Too bad they didn't stop to
Too bad they didn't stop to plan where we were going during the greed boom, all the eggs might not have been put in the 8-12 bedroom pink elephants that aren't renting. Dare county has been criminal in it's behaviour through this boom/bust. How much more are taxpayers putting out on utility bills for half empty mega county office buildings? Why weren't funds used to improve life for residents-- public transportation, recreation for Hatteras youth, health care?
Their blind greed and puffery comes home to roost on our shoulders