Press Releases

A third opportunity opened today for local governments in North Carolina’s rural areas to once again apply for a Rural Transformation Grant.  The popular grant program from the Department of Commerce helps communities overcome challenges that limit their economic competitiveness.

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.

North Carolina Main Street Champions will be recognized for their contributions to their Main Street programs and downtown districts today in Statesville. Since the recognition started in 2000, including this year’s 38 honorees, 375 Champions have been honored by the N.C.

Tex-Tech Industries, a leading manufacturer of specialty textiles, will create 49 new jobs in Forsyth County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $24.8 million to build a new manufacturing center in Winston-Salem.

Nine communities will receive awards for excellence in downtown revitalization during the North Carolina Main Street Awards Ceremony in Statesville this evening.

The state’s seasonally adjusted January 2023 unemployment rate was 3.8 percent, unchanged from December’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.4 percent.

Filmmakers spent more than $258 million on productions in North Carolina last year, the sixth highest year-end total since 2000, when the state started offering incentives to support the state’s film industry.

Siemens Mobility, Inc., the global manufacturer of rail transportation vehicles and control systems, will build a major advanced manufacturing and rail services center in Davidson County, creating 506 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.

North Carolina leaders are projecting shortages in direct care workers, nurses and other caregiving positions in the coming decade. At the same time, demand for these services is rising.

Today, North Carolina entered an international agreement to access new resources and expertise from the nation that built the world’s first offshore wind farm, advancing North Carolina’s development of a clean energy economy.