North Carolina’s Unemployment Rate Holds Steady as Job Market Sees Growth in Key Sectors
RALEIGH, N.C. – The unemployment rate in North Carolina remained steady at 3.9% in December 2025, mirroring November’s revised rate, while the national rate experienced a slight dip to 4.4%, a 0.1 percentage point decrease.
The state’s unemployment rate marks a 0.2 percentage point increase compared to December 2024. Over the past month, the total number of employed individuals in North Carolina rose by 9,802, reaching 5,104,078, and increased by 14,611 over the year. Meanwhile, the unemployed population grew by 683 to 204,751 for the month, and by 8,543 over the year.
December saw a rise in seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm employment by 3,300, totaling 5,125,000. The Leisure & Hospitality Services sector led the growth with an increase of 2,900 jobs. Other sectors with notable job increases included Financial Activities (1,900), Private Education & Health Services (1,700), Construction (1,100), Government (900), Professional & Business Services (800), Other Services (600), and Mining & Logging (100). Conversely, Trade, Transportation & Utilities saw a decline of 5,900 jobs, while Manufacturing decreased by 800 jobs. Information sector employment remained unchanged.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates since December 2024
| Area | Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 | May 2025 | June 2025 | July 2025 | August 2025 | Sep 2025 | Oct 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.C. | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | * | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| U.S. | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | * | 4.5 | 4.4 |
Estimates are subject to monthly and annual revisions*
*October 2025 data are unavailable due to the lapse in appropriations*
Since December 2024, the state has seen an increase of 80,700 Total Nonfarm jobs. The Total Private sector contributed significantly with an increase of 78,800 jobs, while the Government sector added 1,900 jobs. Key industries showing substantial growth included Private Education & Health Services with 19,400 jobs, followed by Professional & Business Services (18,200), Construction (14,400), and Leisure & Hospitality Services (13,100). Financial Activities added 9,100 jobs, and Trade, Transportation & Utilities increased by 7,300 jobs. Smaller gains were observed in Other Services (4,900), Government (1,900), and Mining & Logging (300). However, Manufacturing and Information sectors faced declines, losing 7,200 and 700 jobs, respectively.
The forthcoming update on unemployment figures is set for release on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, which will provide county-level unemployment data for December 2025.
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