Press Releases

On Wednesday and Thursday, Governor Cooper met with 14 companies in Switzerland as part of an economic development trip, including Syngenta, ABB and Novartis. He also met with the Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda. The Governor hosted a roundtable with various companies and officials including the US Deputy Chief of Mission Brad Bell.The Governor discussed investment opportunities and job creation in North Carolina. Switzerland is the 5th largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina.

J&L Machine and Fabrication, a steel fabrication and machining provider, will create 33 new jobs in Gaston County, Governor Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $2.1 million to expand its production capacity in the Town of Stanley.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties in April 2024. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.8 percent while Greene, Buncombe, and Ashe Counties each had the lowest at 2.6 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 4.5 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.7 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.3 percent.

On Monday and Tuesday, Governor Cooper met with several companies in Germany, including Siemens AG, as part of an economic development trip. The Governor also spoke with the Bavarian Industry Association, the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger and the Minister for European Affairs and International Relations Eric Beißwenger.The Governor discussed investment opportunities and job creation in North Carolina. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina.

Retailer, Ross Stores, Inc.  (“Ross”) will create 852 jobs in Randolph County, Governor Cooper announced today. The company will invest $450 million to build a Southeastern region distribution center in the City of Randleman.“We are delighted to welcome Ross Stores to Randolph County,” said Governor Cooper. “Nationally recognized brands like Ross will appreciate the quality of life in North Carolina as well as the capability of our world-class workforce to help them grow and succeed.”

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the North Carolina tourism economy reached its highest level ever with travelers spending more than $35.6 billion on trips to and within the state. The previous record of $33.3 billion was set in 2022.“We’re excited that North Carolina continues to be a top 5 state for visitors from around the world,” Governor Cooper said. “Our investments in tourism are paying dividends for our visitors experiencing the great things across North Carolina and for the great jobs it brings across the state.”

The state’s seasonally adjusted April 2024 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, unchanged from March’s revised rate. The national rate increased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.9 percent.North Carolina’s unemployment rate increased 0.2 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 1,200 over the month to 5,075,803 and increased 28,573 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 1,202 over the month to 186,723 and increased 14,527 over the year.

Nineteen rural communities from across the state have been selected to participate in the Commerce Department’s program to increase their capacity to plan, implement, and manage economic development programs and opportunities. The Rural Community Capacity (RC2) program, an initiative from the Commerce Department, also involves Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business and East Carolina University’s Master of Public Administration program.

Today, leaders from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services formally launched a collaborative process of developing a report to the North Carolina General Assembly on opportunities to provide workforce development services in conjunction with the state’s Medicaid expansion. N.C. Commerce Chief Deputy Secretary Jordan Whichard and N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley convened a host of partners for a kick-off meeting at NCDHHS on the Dorothea Dix campus in Raleigh.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NC MEP) at North Carolina State University today released a collaborative report, Best Practices for Growing Manufacturing in North Carolina, coinciding with the first day of the North Carolina Manufacturing Conference held May 13-14, 2024, in Durham, North Carolina.