The state’s seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, declining 0.2 points from December’s revised rate. The national rate declined 0.4 points to 6.3 percent.
North Carolina’s January 2021 unemployment rate increased 2.4 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 9,882 over the month to 4,741,046 and decreased 187,402 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 11,284 over the month to 297,599 and increased 117,994 over the year.
Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, decreased 3,200 to 4,432,600 in January. Major industries experiencing increases were Construction, 1,200; Information, 1,200; Leisure & Hospitality Services, 700; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 400; Other Services, 200; and Professional & Business Services, 100. Major industries experiencing decreases were Education & Health Services, 2,900; Government, 1,600; Financial Activities, 1,400; and Manufacturing, 1,100. Mining & Logging employment remained unchanged.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates since January 2020
| Jan 2020 | Feb 2020 | Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | May 2020 | June 2020 | July 2020 | August 2020 | Sep 2020 | Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | Dec 2020 | Jan 2021 | |
| N.C. | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| U.S. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 14.8 | 13.3 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
* Please note: 2020 numbers have undergone annual revision *
Since January 2020, Total Nonfarm jobs decreased 190,900 with the Total Private sector decreasing by 153,400 and Government decreasing by 37,500. Major industries experiencing increases were Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 3,400; Professional & Business Services, 2,400; and Financial Activities, 1,000. Major industries experiencing decreases were Leisure & Hospitality Services, 87,200; Education & Health Services, 38,400; Government, 37,500; Manufacturing, 18,900; Other Services, 12,100; Construction, 2,800; Information, 700; and Mining & Logging, 100.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Friday, March 19, 2021 when the county unemployment rates for January 2021 will be released.