Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 85 of North Carolina’s counties in March, increased in three, and remained unchanged in 12. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.7 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 2.4 percent. Fourteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases and one remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.1 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill had the lowest at 2.8 percent. The March not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.6 percent.
| Counties with Rates 5% or Below | Counties with Rates Between 5% and 10% | Counties with Rates Above 10% | |
| March | 84 | 16 | 0 |
| February (revised) | 80 | 20 | 0 |
When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year.
The number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) increased in March by 55,989 to 4,903,187, while those unemployed decreased by 3,303 to 182,334. Since March 2021, the number of workers employed statewide increased 234,982, while those unemployed decreased 77,108.
It is important to note that employment estimates are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2022 when the state unemployment rate for April 2022 will be released.
###
Note to Editors: Supplemental data for this release, currently published in Adobe PDF format, is now available via a live online dashboard. The PDF version of this data report will soon be discontinued. Contact Commerce Communications for further information on this pending change.