Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · North Carolina
How is the job market in North Carolina?
The unemployment rate in North Carolina was 3.4% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
North Carolina, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate3.4%3.4% to 14.2%
- Participation rate57.8%56.6% to 61.6%
- Employment-population ratio55.8%48.6% to 59.3%
North Carolina, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands5,233.64,625.1 to 5,317.0
- Employed, thousands5,053.73,969.1 to 5,113.4
- Unemployed, thousands179.8179.8 to 656.0
North Carolina, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands5,128.04,076.5 to 5,128.0
- Average hourly earnings$34.48$23.51 to $34.87
- Average weekly hours34.232.9 to 35.2
North Carolina, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.0%3.6% to 8.6%
- Hires rate3.2%2.9% to 6.7%
- Quits rate2.2%1.5% to 3.7%
- Layoffs and discharges rate1.1%0.7% to 8.8%
- Total separations rate3.6%2.6% to 11.0%
Each row is one measure of North Carolina over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
North Carolina, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands212153 to 451
- Hires, thousands161146 to 289
- Quits, thousands11463 to 176
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands5835 to 405
- Total separations, thousands182132 to 508
Each row is one measure of North Carolina over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in North Carolina was 3.4% in September 2026, ranking 35th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is down 0.5 percentage points (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the lowest since July 1999.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 5,128.0 thousand in September 2026, up 1.3% over a year (ours), 8th highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $34.48 in September 2026, up 1.0% over a year (ours), 27th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.0% in December 2025, down 1.2 percentage points over a year (ours), 24th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.2% in December 2025, down 0.3 percentage points over a year (ours), 32nd highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.2% in December 2025, down 0.3 percentage points over a year (ours), 18th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of North Carolina
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in North Carolina was 3.4% in September 2026.
What do the figures for North Carolina measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of North Carolina that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for North Carolina?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 3.4% | −0.5 pts | 35 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 57.8% | −1.6 pts | 45 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 55.8% | −1.3 pts | 43 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 5,233.6 thousand | −1.4% | 9 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 5,053.7 thousand | −1.0% | 9 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Unemployed | People | 179.8 thousand | −12.1% | 11 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 5,128.0 thousand | +1.3% | 8 of 51 | n/a | none since 2006 | ||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $34.48 | +1.0% | 27 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 34.2 hours | +0.9% | 17 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.0% | −1.2 pts | 24 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.2% | −0.3 pts | 32 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.2% | −0.3 pts | 18 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 1.1% | 0.0 pts | 10 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.6% | −0.1 pts | 15 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 212 thousand | −22.9% | 10 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 161 thousand | −8.5% | 9 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 114 thousand | −9.5% | 7 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 58 thousand | +5.5% | 7 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 182 thousand | −2.7% | 7 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of North Carolina?100 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | 3.2% | 3.8% | −0.6 pts |
| Alexander County | 2.9% | 3.6% | −0.7 pts |
| Alleghany County | 3.1% | 3.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Anson County | 4.0% | 4.5% | −0.5 pts |
| Ashe County | 2.6% | 3.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Avery County | 2.6% | 3.4% | −0.8 pts |
| Beaufort County | 3.1% | 3.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Bertie County | 4.2% | 4.6% | −0.4 pts |
| Bladen County | 4.4% | 5.4% | −1.0 pts |
| Brunswick County | 3.6% | 4.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Buncombe County | 2.8% | 3.8% | −1.0 pts |
| Burke County | 2.9% | 3.7% | −0.8 pts |
| Cabarrus County | 3.0% | 3.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Caldwell County | 3.1% | 3.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Camden County | 2.5% | 3.1% | −0.6 pts |
| Carteret County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Caswell County | 3.1% | 3.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Catawba County | 3.1% | 3.5% | −0.4 pts |
| Chatham County | 2.7% | 3.3% | −0.6 pts |
| Cherokee County | 3.3% | 3.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Chowan County | 2.9% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Clay County | 3.1% | 3.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Cleveland County | 3.7% | 4.3% | −0.6 pts |
| Columbus County | 3.7% | 4.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Craven County | 3.3% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
Show 75 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 4.0% | 4.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Currituck County | 2.3% | 2.6% | −0.3 pts |
| Dare County | 2.7% | 3.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Davidson County | 3.2% | 3.7% | −0.5 pts |
| Davie County | 3.0% | 3.7% | −0.7 pts |
| Duplin County | 2.8% | 3.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Durham County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Edgecombe County | 4.7% | 5.5% | −0.8 pts |
| Forsyth County | 3.3% | 3.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Franklin County | 2.8% | 3.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Gaston County | 3.2% | 3.9% | −0.7 pts |
| Gates County | 2.9% | 3.7% | −0.8 pts |
| Graham County | 3.0% | 3.3% | −0.3 pts |
| Granville County | 2.9% | 3.6% | −0.7 pts |
| Greene County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Guilford County | 3.4% | 4.2% | −0.8 pts |
| Halifax County | 4.6% | 5.6% | −1.0 pts |
| Harnett County | 3.4% | 3.9% | −0.5 pts |
| Haywood County | 2.8% | 3.5% | −0.7 pts |
| Henderson County | 2.6% | 3.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Hertford County | 3.5% | 4.2% | −0.7 pts |
| Hoke County | 3.9% | 4.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Hyde County | 4.0% | 4.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Iredell County | 2.9% | 3.7% | −0.8 pts |
| Jackson County | 2.6% | 3.3% | −0.7 pts |
| Johnston County | 2.7% | 3.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Jones County | 3.3% | 3.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Lee County | 3.1% | 3.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Lenoir County | 3.3% | 3.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Lincoln County | 2.9% | 3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Macon County | 2.9% | 3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Madison County | 2.8% | 3.8% | −1.0 pts |
| Martin County | 3.5% | 3.8% | −0.3 pts |
| McDowell County | 3.2% | 3.8% | −0.6 pts |
| Mecklenburg County | 3.3% | 3.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Mitchell County | 3.1% | 3.9% | −0.8 pts |
| Montgomery County | 3.5% | 4.0% | −0.5 pts |
| Moore County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Nash County | 4.1% | 4.9% | −0.8 pts |
| New Hanover County | 2.8% | 3.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Northampton County | 3.8% | 5.0% | −1.2 pts |
| Onslow County | 3.4% | 3.8% | −0.4 pts |
| Orange County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Pamlico County | 3.2% | 3.7% | −0.5 pts |
| Pasquotank County | 3.1% | 3.8% | −0.7 pts |
| Pender County | 2.9% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Perquimans County | 3.5% | 4.0% | −0.5 pts |
| Person County | 2.9% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Pitt County | 3.5% | 4.0% | −0.5 pts |
| Polk County | 2.7% | 3.5% | −0.8 pts |
| Randolph County | 3.1% | 3.5% | −0.4 pts |
| Richmond County | 3.5% | 4.3% | −0.8 pts |
| Robeson County | 4.3% | 5.3% | −1.0 pts |
| Rockingham County | 3.3% | 4.0% | −0.7 pts |
| Rowan County | 3.1% | 4.3% | −1.2 pts |
| Rutherford County | 3.6% | 4.4% | −0.8 pts |
| Sampson County | 3.1% | 3.9% | −0.8 pts |
| Scotland County | 4.1% | 4.9% | −0.8 pts |
| Stanly County | 2.6% | 3.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Stokes County | 3.0% | 3.7% | −0.7 pts |
| Surry County | 2.8% | 3.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Swain County | 2.5% | 3.3% | −0.8 pts |
| Transylvania County | 2.9% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Tyrrell County | 3.9% | 4.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Union County | 2.9% | 3.4% | −0.5 pts |
| Vance County | 4.0% | 4.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Wake County | 2.8% | 3.1% | −0.3 pts |
| Warren County | 3.9% | 4.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Washington County | 4.3% | 4.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Watauga County | 2.6% | 3.4% | −0.8 pts |
| Wayne County | 3.3% | 3.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Wilkes County | 3.2% | 3.9% | −0.7 pts |
| Wilson County | 4.2% | 4.9% | −0.7 pts |
| Yadkin County | 2.8% | 3.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Yancey County | 2.6% | 3.6% | −1.0 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of North Carolina, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in North Carolina?", https://500metrics.com/states/north-carolina.
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