Press Releases

Forty-nine North Carolina communities have received Main Street America™ Accreditation status for 2026, the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced today. Each year, Main Street America and its state coordinating partner, the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center, announce the list of programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.

Today Governor Josh Stein joined state and local officials to break ground on JetZero’s first commercial airplane manufacturing facility at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. JetZero’s flagship manufacturing operations will create more than 14,500 high-wage aerospace manufacturing jobs – the largest economic development project in North Carolina history based on job commitment. 

Today Governor Josh Stein and the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced grant awards to 13 local governments to support housing, infrastructure, and community improvement projects that benefit low- and moderate-income North Carolinians. The grants, totaling more than $13.7 million, were awarded through the department’s Community Development Block Grant – Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) program.

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), through the generous support of the Siemens Foundation’s groundbreaking $9.5 million total investment into the Careers Electric initiative, is launching 12 Summer Electrical Academies skilling 220 students at community colleges across North Carolina. In February, Governor Stein and the Siemens Foundation launched the program to train 25,000 North Carolinians for electrical careers within 10 years.  

Over the past week, Governor Josh Stein and Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley traveled to Switzerland and Germany to promote North Carolina as a top state for economic development investments and tourism.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce today announced an extension of the public comment period for the state’s Opportunity Zone nomination process, providing local governments, economic development organizations, and members of the public additional time to submit feedback and recommendations on eligible census tracts for consideration as North Carolina’s new Opportunity Zones.The extended deadline to submit nominations is now 11:59 pm on Sunday, June 21, 2026, providing local leaders and the public an additional two weeks to provide feedback.

As thousands of fans gathered in Charlotte over the weekend for the U.S. Men’s National Team Send-Off Match ahead of the FIFA World Cup, North Carolina stepped further into the global soccer spotlight through a series of major events and international team partnerships supported by the state’s Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund (MEGA Fund). 

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 57 counties, increased in eight, and remained unchanged in 35 in April 2026. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.7 percent while Currituck County had the lowest at 2.7 percent. Eight of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases, one experienced a rate increase, and six remained the same. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 4.6 percent while Raleigh had the lowest at 3.0 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.4 percent.

Today Governor Josh Stein joined Pitt Community College President Maria Pharr and Tiana Berryman, Greenville’s Director of Neighborhood and Business Services, to highlight how the community college’s construction and industrial technology program is preparing students for the construction workforce.

Today Governor Josh Stein announced BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA), a global product leader of sustainable mobility solutions, will add 378 jobs in Henderson County. The company says it plans to invest $100 million in Hendersonville to vertically integrate its operations and produce critical components to support business growth.