Press Releases

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 99 of North Carolina’s counties in September and increased in one. Warren County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.6 percent while Orange and Buncombe Counties each had the lowest at 2.6 percent.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded 20 special grants to 11 local workforce development boards, totaling $8.45 million, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.

Applications are now being accepted for a new round of grantmaking from the One North Carolina Small Business Program, a key source of capital for North Carolina’s emerging technology companies.

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.

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.

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 17 grant requests to local governments totaling $5,710,255, 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.

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.

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.