Unemployment figures released Monday by the N.C. Department of Commerce indicated more people were looking for work in January, as the state jobless rate ticked up to 9.5 percent from December's rate of 9.4 percent.

The rate measures a tenth of a percentage point lower than in January 2012, however.

The national unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in January and 7.7 percent in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

County unemployment rates for January will be released March 22.