Unemployment rates in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties have changed very little since last year and last month, according to the October data released Monday by the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment in Brunswick County was 6.7 percent in October, compared with 6.6 in September and 6.6 percent in October 2014.

New Hanover, at 5.2 percent unemployment for October, showed a one-tenth of a percentage point increase in unemployment from September, when the rate was 5.1 percent. That figure was the same as for October 2014.

Pender County logged a 5.9 percent unemployment rate in October, compared with 5.7 percent in September and 5.9 percent in October 2014.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 83 of North Carolina’s counties in October, decreased in six, and remained unchanged in 11. Scotland and Graham counties had the highest unemployment rates, each at 10.3 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 4.1 percent. New Hanover was 23rd, Pender 50th and Brunswick 74th.

Unemployment in the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of New Hanover and Pender counties, was 5.3 percent. Over the past year, employment has risen in several sectors: professional and business services (up 5.3 percent); financial activities (up 3.4 percent); education and health services (up 2.9 percent) and government (up 1.3 percent).

MSA employment is down in mining, logging and construction (by 1.6 percent); in manufacturing (by 5.3 percent); and in transportation and utilities (by .4 percent).