This week  Governor Pat McCrory and Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker released the following statement after North Carolina’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.5 of a percentage point to 6.9 percent – the lowest rate in more than five years. “The trend of more people getting back to work in North Carolina is great news for our state,” said Governor McCrory. “While this is welcome news, we will remain focused on policies that will encourage job growth – not just for the short-term, but for the long-term to sustain the progress we have made.”  Secretary Decker added, "We're encouraged to see these early signs of economic recovery, but we won't rest until every North Carolinian who wants a job has one."  Also this week, Governor McCrory met with business leaders from throughout the state for the inaugural meeting and swearing-in of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Small and Historically Underutilized Businesses. The governor signed Executive Order No. 24 in September 2013 that ensured businessmen and women would comprise the council.  "My administration is dedicated to making North Carolina a more business-friendly state, especially for businesses that have been historically underutilized," said Governor McCrory. These 13 members represent small, minority-owned, women-owned, and physically disabled businesses, among others.