Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

Written by:
Stacker
May 3, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in North Carolina using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina.

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Kirkam // Shutterstock

#50. Caswell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,020 people (369 unemployed)

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#49. Sampson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,535 people (1,080 unemployed)

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#48. Franklin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,532 people (1,331 unemployed)

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Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#47. Caldwell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,374 people (1,352 unemployed)

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#46. Randolph County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 66,007 people (2,473 unemployed)

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#45. Davidson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,879 people (3,012 unemployed)

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David Louis Econopouly // Shutterstock

#44. Alamance County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 87,166 people (3,185 unemployed)

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digidreamgrafix // Shutterstock

#43. Mecklenburg County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 669,170 people (24,624 unemployed)

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Noemia Poole // Shutterstock

#42. Montgomery County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,409 people (438 unemployed)

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#41. Person County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,510 people (734 unemployed)

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#40. Forsyth County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 189,310 people (7,182 unemployed)

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#39. Wilkes County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,439 people (1,030 unemployed)

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#38. Wayne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,796 people (2,036 unemployed)

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#37. Anson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,496 people (425 unemployed)

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#36. Beaufort County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 19,919 people (794 unemployed)

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#35. Rockingham County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 39,710 people (1,590 unemployed)

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#34. Perquimans County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,255 people (216 unemployed)

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#33. Cherokee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,075 people (458 unemployed)

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#32. Pasquotank County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,517 people (719 unemployed)

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#31. Jackson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,652 people (809 unemployed)

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Nikola Spasic Photography // Shutterstock

#30. Pitt County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,775 people (3,755 unemployed)

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#29. Lee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,055 people (1,091 unemployed)

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#28. Harnett County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,687 people (2,380 unemployed)

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#27. Bladen County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,340 people (659 unemployed)

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#26. Brunswick County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 60,001 people (2,604 unemployed)

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#25. Onslow County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 70,974 people (3,042 unemployed)

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#24. Guilford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 261,937 people (11,231 unemployed)

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#23. Northampton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,474 people (328 unemployed)

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#22. Columbus County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,654 people (991 unemployed)

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#21. Alleghany County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,323 people (195 unemployed)

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#20. Bertie County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,231 people (325 unemployed)

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D Guest Smith // Shutterstock

#19. Martin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,975 people (400 unemployed)

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#18. Hoke County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 20,839 people (935 unemployed)

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#17. Richmond County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 17,461 people (811 unemployed)

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#16. Graham County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,001 people (141 unemployed)

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#15. Washington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,363 people (203 unemployed)

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Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#14. Rutherford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,326 people (1,132 unemployed)

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#13. Nash County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 42,572 people (2,005 unemployed)

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#12. Cumberland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 131,166 people (6,431 unemployed)

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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#11. Hertford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,550 people (429 unemployed)

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#10. Halifax County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,705 people (1,001 unemployed)

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#9. Robeson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,951 people (2,505 unemployed)

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Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#8. Vance County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,993 people (892 unemployed)

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#7. Dare County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 19,225 people (1,006 unemployed)

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#6. Wilson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,846 people (1,837 unemployed)

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#5. Tyrrell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,323 people (71 unemployed)

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#4. Warren County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,378 people (352 unemployed)

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#3. Edgecombe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,311 people (1,122 unemployed)

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#2. Scotland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 11,555 people (726 unemployed)

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#1. Hyde County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,804 people (137 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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