North Carolina’s Steady Unemployment Rate Defies National Trends
In August 2025, North Carolina’s unemployment rate remained constant at 3.7%, mirroring the same figure from July. This stability contrasts with the national unemployment rate, which grew slightly by 0.1 percentage points to 4.3%.
Compared to the previous year, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has shown no change. The state’s employment figures reveal a decrease in the number of employed individuals by 2,394 over the past month, bringing the total to 5,088,201. Similarly, over the year, there was a decline of 3,168 in the employed population. The unemployed population saw a minor drop of 142 people over the month to 194,915 but increased by 722 over the year.
In terms of industry performance, seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm employment rose by 4,800 positions, reaching a total of 5,095,400 in August. Significant job growth was observed in Trade, Transportation & Utilities with an addition of 4,400 jobs. Leisure & Hospitality Services and Other Services each grew by 700 positions, while Manufacturing and Financial Activities saw increases of 500 and 300 jobs, respectively. On the downside, Construction experienced a reduction of 1,200 jobs, and declines were also noted in Information (300 jobs), Government (200 jobs), and Professional & Business Services (100 jobs). No changes were recorded in Mining & Logging or Private Education & Health Services.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates since August 2024
| Area | August 2024 | Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 | Nov 2024 | Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 | May 2025 | June 2025 | July 2025 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.C. | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| U.S. | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Estimates are subject to monthly and annual revisions*
Since August 2024, the Total Nonfarm jobs in North Carolina have grown by 80,800. The Total Private sector contributed 70,100 jobs to this increase, while the Government sector added 10,700 positions. Industries leading this growth include Professional & Business Services with 21,500 new jobs, followed closely by Private Education & Health Services, which added 21,100 jobs. The Government sector itself saw an increase of 10,700 jobs, while Leisure & Hospitality Services added 10,000 positions. Other notable increases were observed in Trade, Transportation & Utilities (9,500 jobs), Construction (8,000 jobs), Other Services (5,500 jobs), Financial Activities (3,600 jobs), and a modest rise in Mining & Logging with 100 jobs. Conversely, Manufacturing saw a reduction of 8,400 jobs, and the Information sector decreased by 800 jobs.
The forthcoming unemployment update is slated for release on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, detailing county unemployment rates for August 2025.
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