Press Releases

Aviation management company, Sovereign Aerospace, will invest $4.15 million to manufacture, sell, and service personal aircraft in Elizabethtown, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. This first U.S. manufacturing plant will bring 33 new jobs to Bladen County.“North Carolina continues to garner national attention as a leading state for aerospace manufacturing,” said Governor Cooper. “With dynamic veteran-owned companies like Sovereign Aerospace expanding in Bladen County, our state has great potential to be a leader in aviation worldwide.”

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 95 of North Carolina’s counties in December 2023, increased in three, and remained unchanged in two. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.9 percent while Buncombe County had the lowest at 2.4 percent. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 4.5 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.5 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.2 percent.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded business services grants to 14 local workforce development boards, totaling $490,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.Workforce boards will use the grants to convene local and regional partners and employers, and to plan and develop strategies and initiatives for evidence-based, in-demand industry sector partnerships to meet the needs of businesses in subsectors of Advanced Manufacturing, including those focused on clean energy.

HEYCO-Werk USA Inc., a plastics injection molder for the automotive industry, will create 34 new jobs in Gaston County, Governor Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $12.75 million to build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Gaston County.

The state’s seasonally adjusted December 2023 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, unchanged from November’s revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 3.7 percent.

DEHN Inc., an international electrical engineering and manufacturing company, has selected Iredell County as the location for its new United States headquarters operation, creating 195 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $38.6 million into the project, which will bring production, research, and training capabilities to the headquarters site, which will be located in Mooresville.

Lynddahl Telecom America Inc. (LTA), a duct solutions company for fiber optics installations, will create 54 new jobs in Gaston County, Governor Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $5.6 million over the next three years to establish its first North American plastic extrusion production site in Belmont.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 39 of North Carolina’s counties in November 2023, decreased in 17, and remained unchanged in 44. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.9 percent while Buncombe and Swain Counties each had the lowest at 2.6 percent. Five of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases, two decreased, and eight remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Fayetteville and Rocky Mount each had the highest rate at 4.6 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.8 percent.

The state’s seasonally adjusted November 2023 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, increasing 0.1 of a percentage point from October’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.7 percent.

North Carolina’s multi-year strategic economic development plan enters its next stage of implementation today with the creation of a new position in the North Carolina Department of Commerce devoted to addressing the insufficient supply of high quality and affordable child care in North Carolina.