Press Releases

— The Division of Employment Security (DES) has begun to collect unpaid unemployment insurance taxes from employers through a federal program called the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). The Division implemented TOP originally for the recovery of unemployment insurance benefit overpayments to claimants in 2013. In January 2016, DES leveraged this process to implement the recovery of unpaid employer taxes. States have recently been given permission by the federal government to run the TOP program for unpaid unemployment insurance taxes.

— The state's seasonally adjusted April unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, decreasing 0.1 of a percentage point from March's revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 5.0 percent. North Carolina's April 2016 unemployment rate was 0.4 of a percentage point lower than a year ago. The number of people employed increased 20,245 over the month to 4,611,868 and increased 141,785 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 1,357 over the month to 264,491, and decreased 10,571 over the year.

Highlights Tourism Week

“Site Selection” Magazine Awards State Its ‘Prosperity Cup’ for 2015

— Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in all 100 of North Carolina's counties in March. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 13.3 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 4.2 percent. All 15 of the state's metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the Metro areas, Rocky Mount at 7.6 percent experienced the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 4.4 percent. The March not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 5.4 percent.

Governor Pat McCrory, North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) announced today that an expansion by Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. will bring 275 new R&D and pharma-manufacturing jobs to Durham. The New Jersey-based maker of generic pharmaceuticals plans to invest over $31.7 million in a new state-of-the-art national headquarters for specialty pharmaceutical R&D.

Governor Pat McCrory announced today that the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 17 grant and loan requests totaling $4,905,420. The requests include commitments to create a total of 161 new jobs across the state.

German Supplier of Automotive Decorative Trim Selects North Carolina for New Operations

—The state's seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, remaining unchanged from February's revised rate. The national rate increased 0.1 of a percentage point to 5.0 percent. North Carolina's March 2016 unemployment rate was 0.3 of a percentage point lower than a year ago. The number of people employed increased 34,284 over the month to 4,591,429 and increased 128,774 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 131 over the month to 265,918, and decreased 7,017 over the year.

— Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 32 of North Carolina's counties in February, increased in 30, and remained unchanged in 38. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 15.3 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 4.4 percent. Three of the state's metro areas experienced rate increases, two experienced decreases, and 10 remained unchanged. Among the Metro areas, Rocky Mount at 8.1 percent experienced the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 4.7 percent. The February not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 5.7 percent.