Press Releases

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. Boards will use the grants to help jobseekers and small businesses with training and other services in response to a tight labor market. These include programs for individuals who are in the reentry process and individuals with or at risk of substance abuse. Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds are supporting this initiative.

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 One North Carolina Small Business Program provides critical support to some of our state’s most promising new companies,” said North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders. “Recent enhancements to the program open the door for even more tech entrepreneurs to grow their companies in North Carolina.”

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.