Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 99 of North Carolina’s counties in January 2023 and decreased in one. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 10.1 percent while Greene, Buncombe, and Orange Counties each had the lowest at 3.0 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 5.4 percent while Asheville and Raleigh each had the lowest at 3.1 percent. The January not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.7 percent.
| Month | Counties with Rates 5% or Below | Counties with Rates Between 5% and 10% | Counties with Rates Above 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 88 | 11 | 1 |
| December (revised) | 93 | 7 | 0 |
When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 71 counties, increased in 14, and remained unchanged in 15. Eleven of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year and four remained unchanged.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in January by 1,538 to 4,964,633, while those unemployed increased by 27,047 to 190,835. Since January 2022, the number of workers employed statewide increased 74,495, while those unemployed decreased 6,789.
It is important to note that employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Friday, March 24, 2023 when the statewide unemployment rate for February 2023 will be released.
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Note to Editors: Supplemental data for this release is now available via a live online dashboard. The PDF version of this supplemetal data has been discontinued, although the PDF attached to this release does contain additional charts and tables for today's data. Contact Commerce Communications for further information on these changes.