Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

Written by:
Stacker
May 31, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

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 April 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.

Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.

For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, 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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#50. Randolph County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,720 people (2,192 unemployed)

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#49. Davidson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,672 people (2,656 unemployed)

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David Louis Econopouly // Shutterstock

#48. Alamance County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 86,630 people (2,889 unemployed)

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#47. Gaston County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 117,513 people (3,831 unemployed)

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#46. Cabarrus County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 119,388 people (3,921 unemployed)

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#45. Forsyth County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 188,893 people (6,319 unemployed)

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digidreamgrafix // Shutterstock

#44. Mecklenburg County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 669,546 people (22,249 unemployed)

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Scott Alan Ritchie // Shutterstock

#43. Person County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,388 people (657 unemployed)

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#42. Franklin County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,269 people (1,188 unemployed)

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Noemia Poole // Shutterstock

#41. Montgomery County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,050 people (384 unemployed)

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#40. Jackson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,207 people (663 unemployed)

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David Byron Keener // Shutterstock

#39. Beaufort County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,434 people (682 unemployed)

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#38. Wilkes County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,729 people (908 unemployed)

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#37. Wayne County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,151 people (1,848 unemployed)

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#36. Caswell County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,889 people (352 unemployed)

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#35. Pasquotank County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,167 people (622 unemployed)

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#34. Rockingham County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,573 people (1,424 unemployed)

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#33. Pitt County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,186 people (3,281 unemployed)

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#32. Anson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,281 people (382 unemployed)

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#31. Cherokee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,688 people (399 unemployed)

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#30. Lee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,223 people (934 unemployed)

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#29. Harnett County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,852 people (2,092 unemployed)

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#28. Alleghany County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,207 people (160 unemployed)

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#27. Perquimans County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,126 people (196 unemployed)

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#26. Northampton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,255 people (273 unemployed)

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#25. Dare County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,387 people (729 unemployed)

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#24. Brunswick County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,216 people (2,307 unemployed)

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#23. Onslow County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 70,755 people (2,684 unemployed)

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#22. Guilford County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 261,292 people (9,991 unemployed)

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#21. Washington County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,257 people (170 unemployed)

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#20. Hoke County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,735 people (831 unemployed)

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#19. Columbus County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,275 people (887 unemployed)

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#18. Graham County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,898 people (119 unemployed)

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#17. Martin County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,718 people (358 unemployed)

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#16. Bladen County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,620 people (599 unemployed)

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#15. Richmond County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,077 people (721 unemployed)

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#14. Rutherford County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,761 people (1,008 unemployed)

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#13. Hyde County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 3.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,781 people (77 unemployed)

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#12. Bertie County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,980 people (298 unemployed)

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#11. Nash County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,276 people (1,799 unemployed)

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#10. Cumberland County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 130,702 people (5,741 unemployed)

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#9. Hertford County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,326 people (379 unemployed)

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#8. Robeson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,837 people (2,183 unemployed)

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#7. Halifax County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,242 people (910 unemployed)

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#6. Tyrrell County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,305 people (62 unemployed)

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#5. Vance County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,581 people (793 unemployed)

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#4. Warren County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,263 people (315 unemployed)

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#3. Edgecombe County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,131 people (1,032 unemployed)

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#2. Wilson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,731 people (1,718 unemployed)

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#1. Scotland County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,235 people (650 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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