The North Carolina Department of Commerce and our Labor & Economic Analysis Division produce a number of useful publications focused on labor markets in the state and nation. See below for more.
Topics
NC Today is a monthly review of labor market conditions in North Carolina with comparative data from the United States as a whole, and from selected Southern states on various aspects of the economy.
LEAD has recently transitioned our Labor Market Overviews to dashboard format. These publications still include all the labor market and other data available in years past, but now also include historical data to help users better understand regional trends. Data includes unemployment rates, employment levels, taxable retail sales, and job openings, among other information.
LMI Tuesdays is a 30-minute live discussion of Labor Market Information (LMI) and how to use this data in your work. Details for how to join these sessions is available elsewhere on our site, along with the presentation slides from earlier sessions.
Area Demographic Profiles provide a glimpse into the business environment and quality of life across a variety of North Carolina geographies. Topics include demographics, education, housing, unemployment, and wages by industry. These reports are also sometimes referred to as County Profiles.
The Employer Needs Survey, carried out by the Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) of the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the NCWorks Commission, is a survey of establishments across the state. The goal of the survey is to identify the needs of employers in North Carolina, with particular emphasis on hiring difficulties.
The 2024 Annual Evaluation of North Carolina Economic Performance provides a snapshot of North Carolina’s most recent annual labor market data, along with some historical context. This report will help support workforce planning and the process of making policy decisions for workforce development, education, economic development and business engagement.
Review the publication schedule for North Carolina's 2026 LAUS and CES data. Release dates for U.S., statewide, and local area employment and unemployment statistics are included.
This page was last modified on 07/23/2026