Unemployment rates declined in all of North Carolina's 100 counties and 15 metro areas in March, with slight decreases in the Wilmington area, according to state statistics released Wednesday. 

New Hanover County's rate changed from 5.5 percent in February to 5.1 percent last month, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Commerce. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted, but some economists consider a rate of 5 percent to represent full employment.

The rate in Brunswick County fell a percentage point, from 7.8 in February to 6.8 in March, and Pender County's dropped from 6.3 to 5.7 percent, according to the release.

The statistics showed that Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 13.3 percent, and Buncombe County had the lowest at 4.2 percent. 

In all three local counties, the March rates also showed a slight decrease from those of March 2015.

The Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of New Hanover and Pender counties, had a February-to-March rate decrease of half a percentage point, from 5.7 to 5.2, the release said.  

Out of all the MSAs, according to the release, Rocky Mount had the highest rate, 7.6 percent, while Asheville at 4.4 percent had the lowest. The statewide rate for March this year was 5.4 percent.