WENTWORTH, N.C. – Since 2001, cuts in textiles and manufacturing have chipped away at Rockingham County's workforce.

County officials have spent $60 million a year in new investment and created 500 new jobs. But after Hanesbrands cut 720 jobs to close its local plant, that hard work turned to worry overnight about how the layoffs will affect an already surging 8-percent unemployment rate.

"I would expect it [the unemployment rate] to go higher just because there's not a lot of new activity right now," said Graham Pervier, president of Rockingham County Economic and Tourism Development.

The last time Rockingham County workers took such a job hit like this was July 2003, when Pillowtex let go 750 workers and sent the unemployment rate soaring to 10 percent.

"It's just tragic," Anita Fox, who's looking for a job in the county, said. "It's just sad that so many of our jobs are going overseas."

But just a day after the cuts, the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce held a business showcase, bringing people like Fox to town hunting for work.

"I'm a licensed clinical social worker and so I might go down and see what they have to offer," Fox said.

Chamber officials think one of the saving graces for Rockingham County will be small businesses like the ones at the showcase, which account for 70 percent of all jobs.

Pervier said he hopes Rockingham County will be able to depend on Greensboro's stronger economy.

"We think that eventually the US 220/NC Highway 68 connector will tie us in even better to Greensboro and to the FedEx hub," Pervier said.

And he thinks that will lead to a more positive, long term outlook.

"Short term, it's just very difficult," Pervier said.