It was bound to happen — and it did.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate is back in double digits at 10.1 percent for July. Although the private sector picked up 6,900 jobs in July, local government jobs fell by 11,800 workers and state government jobs declined by 300 workers, according to figures released Friday by the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

Employment figures indicate the majority of the public-sector job losses were in education, including teachers who got pink slips.

Don’t tell us the state budget passed by the Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly didn’t play a key role in those job losses in the public sector. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is the jobless figures for July. Want more proof the deep cuts to the state’s budget sent people to the unemployment line? Ask those teachers who lost their jobs.

Republicans, including North Carolina Republicans, continue to criticize President Barack Obama and other Democrats for not doing enough to put unemployed Americans back to work. And this criticism is coming from North Carolina Republican legislators whose actions put people out of work?

For the Republicans, it must be do as they say, not as they do.

Meanwhile, some Southern governors are meeting this weekend to help residents of their states find jobs. On Friday, the Southern Governors Association, which has 16 states as members, began three days of meetings and workshops to help them do just that. N.C. Gov. Beverly Perdue will be there. Eight other governors are expected to attend.

Those nine governors are to be commended for addressing the issue of jobs for their residents.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry won’t be at the conference. He’s campaigning to become president in 2012. His absence from the conference sends a message — one those jobless folks in Texas don’t need or deserve.

Well, at least some elected leaders are trying to help those jobless residents in their respective states.

More power to them.