South region · state data
North Carolina unemployment rate and jobs
North Carolina's unemployment rate was 3.4% in Sep 2026, 0.8 percentage points below the U.S. rate of 4.2%. That was down from 3.9% a year earlier.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Employment Statistics) via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.
Unemployment rate (Sep 2026)
3.4%
U.S. rate, same month
4.2%
Difference from U.S.
-0.8 pt
A year earlier
3.9%
Rank (1 = lowest rate)
14th of 51
Nonfarm jobs (Sep 2026)
5.13 million
Job growth, 12 months
+1.3%
Record low rate
3.2% (May 1999)
Unemployment rate: North Carolina vs. the U.S.
3.4% Sep 2026 · Percent
North Carolina unemployment rate U.S. unemployment rate
Percent of the labor force, seasonally adjusted. North Carolina data from Jan 1976 to Sep 2026; the dashed line is the national rate (UNRATE).
How North Carolina compares
In Sep 2026, North Carolina had the 14th lowest rate of the 51 states and DC (tied with Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee). Across the 16 states and DC in the South region, the simple average was 4.0%, so North Carolina was 0.6 points below it.
Since the state series began in 1976, North Carolina's rate has ranged from a low of 3.2% in May 1999 to a high of 14.2% in Apr 2020. The latest reading is within 0.2 points of the record low. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, it was 3.8%, 0.4 points higher than now. Over the last 12 months the rate averaged 3.7% and was above the national rate in 0 of them.
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Jobs in North Carolina
Employers in North Carolina reported 5.13 million nonfarm payroll jobs in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted. That is 67,000 more than a year earlier (+1.3%), compared with +0.3% for the nation as a whole. Its 12-month job growth rate ranked 6th of 51. The job count is at its highest level since the series began in 1990. Compared with February 2020, payrolls are up 10.5%.
5,128.0K Sep 2026 · Thousands of persons
Total nonfarm payroll jobs, thousands, seasonally adjusted, from the BLS survey of employers. Data from Jan 1990.
| Month | Unemployment rate | U.S. rate | Nonfarm jobs | Monthly job change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 3.4% | 4.2% | 5.13 million | +600 |
| Aug 2026 | 3.5% | 4.1% | 5.13 million | +9,000 |
| Jul 2026 | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.12 million | +5,700 |
| Jun 2026 | 3.6% | 4.2% | 5.11 million | -2,300 |
| May 2026 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 5.12 million | +13,500 |
| Apr 2026 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 5.10 million | +21,400 |
| Mar 2026 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 5.08 million | +11,100 |
| Feb 2026 | 3.8% | 4.4% | 5.07 million | -3,000 |
| Jan 2026 | 3.8% | 4.3% | 5.07 million | +3,800 |
| Dec 2025 | 3.8% | 4.4% | 5.07 million | +4,100 |
| Nov 2025 | 3.8% | 4.5% | 5.06 million | +3,100 |
| Sep 2025 | 3.9% | 4.4% | 5.06 million | -1,800 |
Record high unemployment rate: 14.2% (Apr 2020). Monthly figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks the state data.
States with similar unemployment rates
Other South states
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This page shows public labor market data for general information. It is not financial or career advice and does not predict future values.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in North Carolina [NCUR], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NCUR, Oct 27, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees: Total Nonfarm in North Carolina [NCNA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NCNA, Oct 27, 2026.
- View NCUR on FRED® · View NCNA on FRED® · BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment
FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics endorses OpenEcon.
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