Press Releases

The state’s seasonally adjusted September 2022 unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, increasing 0.1 of a percentage point from August’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.5 percent. North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 0.9 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed decreased 760 over the month to 4,944,068 and increased 180,599 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 4,699 over the month to 184,220 and decreased 42,513 over the year.

The Department of Commerce has awarded two new television and film projects with North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grants to support productions in several locations around the state.  Combined, the projects are estimated to generate direct in-state spending of $30 million while creating more than 1,500 job opportunities in the state. "It's pretty simple: film productions mean good jobs across North Carolina," said Governor Roy Cooper. "We’ve worked hard to bring the film industry back with record investments and huge momentum for the future."

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 17 grant requests to local governments totaling $5,710,255, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 1,382 jobs, 1,097 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects involved more than $5 billion in private investment, some of which has been previously announced.

Fab-Con Machinery Development Corporation, a manufacturer of textile finishing equipment, will create 27 new jobs in Rowan County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $5.3 million to relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operation to Salisbury.

American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD), one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of cabinets, will expand its operations in Hamlet, North Carolina creating 131 jobs in Richmond County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.  

SO-PAK-CO, Inc., a food processor and packager, will create 440 new jobs in Scotland County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $85 million to build a state-of-the-art processing and packaging facility in the City of Laurinburg. “This announcement is great news for Scotland County and our state,” said Governor Cooper. “With our manufacturing legacy, diverse workforce, and transportation infrastructure, SO-PAK-CO can confidently expand their operations here to serve even more nutritious meals to our men and women in uniform."

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that a manufacturer, a community partnership and five individual North Carolinians have won NCWorks Awards of Distinction for outstanding accomplishments and contributions related to workforce development. The recipients were recognized on Thursday, Oct. 13, during a ceremony held in Greensboro as part of the 35th annual NCWorks Partnership Conference. 

North Carolina has received a $9.9 million federal grant to help people transitioning out of federal prison to gain job skills and employment after their release, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed October 2-8 North Carolina Manufacturing Week. Boasting the fifth-largest manufacturing economy in the United States, which grew 14% last year, and the largest manufacturing workforce in the southeast, manufacturing remains essential to the success of every sector of North Carolina’s economy.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 98 of North Carolina’s counties in August and remained unchanged in two. Edgecombe County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.9 percent while Buncombe, Swain, and Chatham Counties each had the lowest at 3.1 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.5 percent while Asheville and Durham-Chapel Hill each had the lowest at 3.2 percent. The August not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.9 percent.