Press Releases

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 17 grant requests to local governments totaling $7,068,625, N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 869 jobs, 623 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $96.8 million in private investment.

Thanks to a collaborative effort among various workforce development stakeholders, the State of North Carolina will build and launch a comprehensive, unified system to deliver career information and labor market data to students, workers, business leaders and educators, Governor Roy Cooper announced today at a meeting of the Education Cabinet.   NCCareers.org will help students identify promising careers while assisting business leaders to find skilled workers and empowering educators to guide students towards the best career paths for the future.

Chewy, an online pet supply retailer, has selected Rowan County for its new fulfillment center, creating 1,200 new jobs and investing $55 million, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will locate in Salisbury, N.C.    “Chewy selected North Carolina because from our infrastructure to our workforce, we have everything businesses need to succeed,” Gov. Cooper said. “These new jobs will make a positive impact on Rowan County and the surrounding area.”  

Governor Roy Cooper today visited Rempac Foam Corporation’s manufacturing facility in Lumberton, where he announced a grant to help protect the business and its jobs from future floods and discussed ongoing efforts to rebuild from Hurricane Florence. During his tour, the governor met with company officials and employees and inspected the area where a state-supported project aims to make the facility more resilient.

Pacon Manufacturing Corporation, a contract manufacturer, has selected Brunswick County for its new plant, creating 299 new jobs and investing $37.6 million, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will bring manufacturing to Navassa, N.C.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 99 of North Carolina’s counties in February and increased in one. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.2 percent. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount at 5.5 percent had the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 3.4 percent. The February not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.2 percent.

The City of Elizabeth City will receive $200,000 to support a downtown revitalization project from the Main Street Solutions Fund, the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced today. Elizabeth City’s award will help preserve a historic building and create a new event space for the community.

Raleigh, N.C. — The state’s seasonally adjusted February unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, increasing 0.1 of a percentage point from January’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.8 percent. North Carolina’s February 2019 unemployment rate decreased 0.3 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 8,831 over the month to 4,817,920 and increased 57,152 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 3,712 over the month to 194,753 and decreased 12,502 over the year.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties in January. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 13.3 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.4 percent. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount at 6.0 percent had the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 3.6 percent. The January not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.5 percent.

North Carolina Main Street Champions will be recognized today for their commitment to downtown improvements and strong communities during a Recognition Ceremony in Salisbury starting at 9:00am (March 14). Forty-three Champions will receive honors for contributions to their Main Street programs and downtown districts in 2018. This year’s group of Main Street Champions brings the total number to 721 that have been recognized by the North Carolina Department of Commerce over the past 19 years.