RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina’s unemployment picture is improving, with the jobless rate dropping to 4.7 percent in April.

The state Commerce Department said Friday the April unemployment rate fell from 4.9 percent in March.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says North Carolina is one of seven states with a higher unemployment rate than the national average of 4.4 percent in April. The state’s jobless rate has been worse than the national average since July. Colorado had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.3 percent.

Nearly 110,000 additional people were holding down jobs in April compared with the previous year. Almost 100,000 extra workers joined the labor force either after becoming adults, resuming their job search after a period on the sidelines or moving to North Carolina.

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