Press Releases

The state’s seasonally adjusted May 2026 unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, remaining unchanged from April’s revised rate. The national rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent.North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed decreased 11,988 over the month to 5,086,003 and decreased 2,157 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 1,998 over the month to 194,590 and decreased 7,164 over the year.

Today Governor Josh Stein and the NCWorks Commission, North Carolina’s workforce development board, announced the opening of applications for eligible training providers seeking approval to participate in the new Workforce Pell grant program. The program expands access to federal financial aid for students enrolled in short-term workforce training programs.

Today Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved eight grant requests for local governments totaling $4,085,208. The grants include commitments to create a total of 396 jobs, 300 of which were previously announced. As a result of these grants, the additional investment in these projects, from private and public sources, is expected to reach more than $126.2 million. 

Today Governor Josh Stein announced Supreme Nonwoven Inc., a leading manufacturer of advanced nonwoven materials and products, will create 50 new jobs in Davidson County. The company will invest $25.8 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Lexington. 

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. 

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 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.