Supplemental Release | March 2026 Statewide Employment Numbers
For Immediate Release: May 6, 2026
For More Information, Contact: Patrice Gist Bethea/919.814.4612
North Carolina’s March Employment Figures Released
RALEIGH — The state’s seasonally adjusted March 2026 unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, decreasing 0.1 of a percentage point from February’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 4.3 percent.
North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed decreased 3,097 over the month to 5,107,523 and increased 18,671 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 3,946 over the month to 197,113 and decreased 4,109 over the year.
Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased 9,400 to 5,078,400 in March. Major industries experiencing increases were Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 4,600; Manufacturing, 2,200; Leisure & Hospitality Services, 1,400; Construction, 800; Financial Activities, 700; and Private Education & Health Services, 200. Major industries experiencing decreases were Government, 200; Information, 100; Mining & Logging, 100; and Other Services, 100. Professional & Business Services employment remained unchanged.
| Category | Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 | May 2025 | Jun 2025 | Jul 2025 | Aug 2025 | Sep 2025 | Oct 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2026 | Mar 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.C. | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | * | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| U.S. | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | * | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
Estimates are subject to monthly and annual revisions
*October 2025 data are unavailable due to the lapse in appropriations*
Since March 2025, Total Nonfarm jobs increased 44,500 with the Total Private sector increasing by 39,200 and Government increasing by 5,300. Major industries experiencing increases were Private Education & Health Services, 21,000; Construction, 11,300; Leisure & Hospitality Services, 8,200; Government, 5,300; Professional & Business Services, 4,500; Financial Activities, 3,100; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 2,300; and Other Services, 1,200. Major industries experiencing decreases over the year were Manufacturing, 9,800; and Information, 2,600. Mining & Logging employment remained unchanged over the year.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 when the county unemployment rates for March 2026 will be released.
These data can be accessed on the Commerce website at https://d4.nccommerce.com/
| Category | March 2026 | February 2026 | March 2025 | Month Ago Numeric Change | Month Ago Percent Change | Year Ago Numeric Change | Year Ago Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoothed Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Labor Force | 5,304,636 | 5,311,679 | 5,290,074 | -7,043 | -0.1 | 14,562 | 0.3 |
| Employed | 5,107,523 | 5,110,620 | 5,088,852 | -3,097 | -0.1 | 18,671 | 0.4 |
| Unemployed | 197,113 | 201,059 | 201,222 | -3,946 | -2.0 | -4,109 | -2.0 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | -0.1 | xxx | -0.1 | xxx |
| Not Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Labor Force | 5,293,723 | 5,280,019 | 5,299,710 | 13,704 | 0.3 | -5,987 | -0.1 |
| Employed | 5,108,174 | 5,077,060 | 5,097,564 | 31,114 | 0.6 | 10,610 | 0.2 |
| Unemployed | 185,549 | 202,959 | 202,146 | -17,410 | -8.6 | -16,597 | -8.2 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | -0.3 | xxx | -0.3 | xxx |
| Category | March 2026 | February 2026 | March 2025 | Month Ago Numeric Change | Month Ago Percent Change | Year Ago Numeric Change | Year Ago Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Labor Force | 170,087,000 | 170,483,000 | 170,641,000 | -396,000 | -0.2 | xxx | xxx |
| Employed | 162,848,000 | 162,912,000 | 163,509,000 | -64,000 | 0.0 | xxx | xxx |
| Unemployed | 7,239,000 | 7,571,000 | 7,132,000 | -332,000 | -4.4 | xxx | xxx |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | -0.1 | xxx | xxx | xxx |
| Not Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Labor Force | 170,102,000 | 170,206,000 | 170,653,000 | -104,000 | -0.1 | xxx | xxx |
| Employed | 162,764,000 | 162,153,000 | 163,412,000 | 611,000 | 0.4 | xxx | xxx |
| Unemployed | 7,337,000 | 8,052,000 | 7,242,000 | -715,000 | -8.9 | xxx | xxx |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.2 | -0.4 | xxx | xxx | xxx |
Annual population adjustments affect the comparability of national labor force estimates over time.
Estimates are subject to monthly and annual revisions.
| Industry | March 2026 | February 2026 | March 2025 | Month Ago Numeric Change | Month Ago Percent Change | Year Ago Numeric Change | Year Ago Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Total Nonfarm | 5,078,400 | 5,069,000 | 5,033,900 | 9,400 | 0.2 | 44,500 | 0.9 |
| Total Private | 4,302,400 | 4,292,800 | 4,263,200 | 9,600 | 0.2 | 39,200 | 0.9 |
| Mining & Logging | 6,200 | 6,300 | 6,200 | -100 | -1.6 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Construction | 287,600 | 286,800 | 276,300 | 800 | 0.3 | 11,300 | 4.1 |
| Manufacturing | 452,500 | 450,300 | 462,300 | 2,200 | 0.5 | -9,800 | -2.1 |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 936,500 | 931,900 | 934,200 | 4,600 | 0.5 | 2,300 | 0.2 |
| Information | 83,900 | 84,000 | 86,500 | -100 | -0.1 | -2,600 | -3.0 |
| Financial Activities | 312,600 | 311,900 | 309,500 | 700 | 0.2 | 3,100 | 1.0 |
| Professional & Business Services | 743,200 | 743,200 | 738,700 | 0 | 0.0 | 4,500 | 0.6 |
| Private Education & Health Services | 739,000 | 738,800 | 718,000 | 200 | 0.0 | 21,000 | 2.9 |
| Leisure & Hospitality Services | 547,400 | 546,000 | 539,200 | 1,400 | 0.3 | 8,200 | 1.5 |
| Other Services | 193,500 | 193,600 | 192,300 | -100 | -0.1 | 1,200 | 0.6 |
| Government | 776,000 | 776,200 | 770,700 | -200 | 0.0 | 5,300 | 0.7 |
| Not Seasonally Adjusted | |||||||
| Total Nonfarm | 5,061,700 | 5,041,500 | 5,012,700 | 20,200 | 0.4 | 49,000 | 1.0 |
| Total Private | 4,274,700 | 4,255,600 | 4,230,600 | 19,100 | 0.4 | 44,100 | 1.0 |
| Mining & Logging | 6,200 | 6,200 | 6,200 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Construction | 287,300 | 283,900 | 275,600 | 3,400 | 1.2 | 11,700 | 4.2 |
| Manufacturing | 451,300 | 448,700 | 462,300 | 2,600 | 0.6 | -11,000 | -2.4 |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 928,100 | 924,000 | 926,100 | 4,100 | 0.4 | 2,000 | 0.2 |
| Information | 83,600 | 83,800 | 86,200 | -200 | -0.2 | -2,600 | -3.0 |
| Financial Activities | 309,900 | 309,200 | 306,400 | 700 | 0.2 | 3,500 | 1.1 |
| Professional & Business Services | 740,400 | 741,300 | 733,900 | -900 | -0.1 | 6,500 | 0.9 |
| Private Education & Health Services | 740,900 | 739,700 | 718,000 | 1,200 | 0.2 | 22,900 | 3.2 |
| Leisure & Hospitality Services | 534,000 | 526,400 | 524,700 | 7,600 | 1.4 | 9,300 | 1.8 |
| Other Services | 193,000 | 192,400 | 191,200 | 600 | 0.3 | 1,800 | 0.9 |
| Government | 787,000 | 785,900 | 782,100 | 1,100 | 0.1 | 4,900 | 0.6 |
Estimates are subject to monthly and annual revisions.
Estimates may not add to totals due to rounding.
Accessing Data
The data presented in this press release, as well as historical data, can be accessed from NC Commerce’s Demand Driven Data Delivery (“D4”) system:
https://d4.nccommerce.com/LausSelection.aspx
https://d4.nccommerce.com/CesSelection.aspx
Technical Notes
This release presents labor force and unemployment estimates from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. Also presented are nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The LAUS and CES programs are both federal-state cooperative endeavors.
Labor force and unemployment--from the LAUS program
Definitions. The labor force and unemployment estimates are based on the same concepts and definitions as those used for the official national estimates obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a sample survey of households that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The LAUS program measures employment and unemployment on a place-of-residence basis. The universe for each is the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over. Employed persons are those who did any work at all for pay or profit in the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month) or worked 15 hours or more without pay in a family business or farm, plus those not working who had a job from which they were temporarily absent, whether or not paid, for such reasons as bad weather, labor-management dispute, illness, or vacation. Unemployed persons are those who were not employed during the reference week (based on the definition above), had actively looked for a job sometime in the 4-week period ending with the reference week, and were currently available for work; persons on lay-off expecting recall need not be looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The labor force is the sum of employed and unemployed persons. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed as a percent of the labor force.
Method of estimation. Statewide estimates are produced using an estimation algorithm administered by the BLS. This method, which underwent substantial enhancement at the beginning of 2021, utilizes data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES, and state unemployment insurance (UI) programs. Each month, census division estimates are controlled to national totals, and state estimates are then controlled to their respective division totals. Substate estimates are controlled to their respective state totals. For more information about LAUS estimation procedures, see the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/lau/calculation.htm
Revisions. Labor force and unemployment data for the previous month reflect adjustments made in each subsequent month, while data for prior years reflect adjustments made at the end of each year. The monthly revisions incorporate updated model inputs, while the annually revised estimates reflect updated population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, any revisions in the other data sources, and model reestimation. In most years, historical data for the most recent five years (both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted) are revised near the beginning of each calendar year, prior to the release of January estimates.
Seasonal adjustment. The LAUS program seasonally adjusts statewide estimates using an X-11 type of seasonal adjustment filter. These estimates are then smoothed using a filtering procedure to remove irregular fluctuations from the seasonally-adjusted series. For more information about seasonal adjustment and smoothing procedures, see the BLS website at
https://www.bls.gov/lau/lauseas.htm.
Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations that were issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on July 21, 2023. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available online at https://www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.
Employment--from the CES program
Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System.
Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month’s employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria.
For some employment series, relatively small sample sizes limit the reliability of the weighted link-relative estimates. In these cases, BLS uses the CES small domain model (SDM) to generate employment estimates. The SDM combines the direct sample estimates (described above) and forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease the volatility of the estimates. For more detailed information about the CES small domain model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods.
Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports that are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at
www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.pdf.
Seasonal adjustment. Payroll employment data are seasonally adjusted at the statewide supersector level. In some cases, the seasonally adjusted payroll employment total is computed by aggregating the independently adjusted supersector series. In other cases, the seasonally adjusted payroll employment total is independently adjusted. Payroll employment data are seasonally adjusted concurrently, using all available estimates, including those for the current month, to develop sample-based seasonal factors. Concurrent sample-based factors are created every month for the current month’s preliminary estimate as well as the previous month’s final estimate.
Reliability of the estimates
The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used.
Model-based error measures for seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data and for over-the-month and over-the-year changes to LAUS estimates are available online at
www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm.
Measures of sampling error for state CES data at the total nonfarm and supersector levels are available online at https://www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm.
Release Dates
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 when the county unemployment rates for March 2026 will be released.
The complete data release schedule through 2026 can be accessed here:
https://www.commerce.nc.gov/release-dates-unemployment-rates/open