Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 99 counties in January 2025 and remained unchanged in one. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.3 percent while Camden County had the lowest at 3.0 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Asheville had the highest rate at 6.0 percent while Raleigh had the lowest at 3.2 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.0 percent.
| Month | Counties with Rates 5% or Below | Counties with Rates Between 5% and 10% | Counties with Rates Above 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 80 | 20 | 0 |
| December (revised) | 94 | 6 | 0 |
When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 69 counties, decreased in 18, and remained unchanged in 13. Nine metro areas experienced rate increases over the year, two decreased, and four remained unchanged.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in January by 10,772 to 5,077,982, while those unemployed increased by 31,684 to 209,884. Since January 2024, the number of workers employed statewide increased 25,816, while those unemployed increased 14,733.
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 28, 2025 when the statewide unemployment rate for February 2025 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 supplemental 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.