▁on ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁statistics ▁from ▁the ▁US ▁Government , ▁the ▁five ▁classification ▁categories ▁for ▁factors ▁such ▁as ▁un emp loyment , ▁income ▁and ▁pover ty ▁rate , ▁the ▁levels ▁are : ▁Dist ress ed ▁( wor st ), ▁At - ris k , ▁Trans itional , ▁Compet itive ▁and ▁Att ain ment . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Labor ▁Statistics , ▁the ▁un emp loyment ▁rate ▁as ▁of ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁was ▁ 1 0 . 6 % ▁( not ▁season ally ▁adjust ed ), ▁down ▁from ▁ 1 1 . 2 % ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Census ▁American ▁Community ▁Survey ▁data ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁the ▁pover ty ▁rate ▁is ▁listed ▁at ▁ 1 8 . 1 %. ▁ ▁Agricult ure ▁The ▁county ' s ▁agricult ural ▁focus ▁is ▁the ▁mass ▁production ▁of ▁F ras er ▁Fir ▁Christmas ▁Tre es . ▁Tree ▁far ms ▁produce ▁trees ▁year ▁round ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁har v ested ▁in ▁mid ▁October , ▁wrapped , ▁stack ed ▁and ▁sold ▁in ▁bulk ▁at ▁local ▁or ▁far ▁away ▁lots ▁or ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁wh oles al ers ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁Some ▁far ms ▁also ▁sell ▁directly ▁to ▁visitors . ▁S hr ub ber y , ▁land sc aping ▁and ▁green h ouses ▁all ▁are ▁important ▁agricult ural ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁county ' s ▁economy , ▁as ▁is ▁be ef ▁cattle ▁far ming . ▁ ▁In ▁keeping ▁with ▁a ▁growing ▁tr end ▁in ▁the ▁NC