The NCWorks Commission, the state workforce development board, voted on March 30, 2022 to recommend the realignment of the existing service areas of the state's (at the time) 23 local workforce development boards, in order to promote alignment with economic development activities in North Carolina.

For several months, starting in November 2021, the Commission conducted a study of the alignment of local workforce board areas, and the opportunities that may exist to realign local workforce development boards more closely with economic development activity in our state.

Following the Commission's recommendations, local elected officials in six counties requested county transfers, which Governor Cooper approved in February 2023. As a result, North Carolina has 20 local workforce development boards, as of July 1, 2023. 

On this page, we will present and update information related to the process of realignment, as well as the process of county transfers from one local area to another.

Note: Alignment with Prosperity Zones (which is one means of aligning with economic development) is an important concept taken into consideration by the NCWorks Commission, but it is not the only concept. In fact, realignment, if agreed upon by local government leaders, could take a number of forms. Please consult the memorandum for details.

For more information on the alignment study, contact: Annie Izod, Executive Director of the NCWorks Commission.

For Local Governments

For technical assistance with realignment, local government officials should contact Assistant Secretary Chet Mottershead.