Press Releases

Live Oak Bank, a digitally-focused bank, will create 204 new jobs in New Hanover County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $25 million in Wilmington to expand its campus and workforce to support the financial needs of American small business owners. “The best recruiters for our state are North Carolina companies,” said Governor Cooper. “Live Oak Bank is expanding here because its leaders know how much our talented workforce and quality of life mean to their success and North Carolina’s.”

Designated North Carolina Main Street and Small Town Main Street communities received more than $439.9 million in local private and public investment, welcomed more than 300 new businesses and 1,900 new jobs to its downtown districts during Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the N.C. Main Street and Rural Planning Center announced today.

State workforce system partners in North Carolina and South Carolina are working together to conduct a pair of events to connect jobseekers with employers from both sides of the border.

Local governments in North Carolina’s rural areas can once again apply for support from the Rural Transformation Grant Fund, a unique grant program from the Department of Commerce that helps communities overcome challenges that limit their economic competitiveness. Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division administers the $47 million grant fund.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties in July. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.6 percent while Buncombe, Swain, and Chatham Counties each had the lowest at 2.9 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.0 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.9 percent. The July not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.7 percent.

Imaflex USA, Inc., a flexible packaging manufacturer, will add 37 new jobs in Davidson County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest up to $15 million for a major building expansion along with capital equipment for its U.S. production site in Thomasville.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is now accepting applications from local workforce development boards for special grants designed to help jobseekers and businesses in today’s tight labor market. The department’s Workforce Solutions division is making the grants available, from federal funds allocated to North Carolina through the American Rescue Plan Act.

ABEC, Inc., a global leader providing engineered process solutions and services for biotech manufacturing will create 251 jobs in Wilson County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $11 million in the City of Wilson to establish another ISO-7 cleanroom and increase single-use disposable container (DC) manufacturing capacity for its Custom Single Run (CSR®) biomanufacturing solutions.

The state’s seasonally adjusted July 2022 unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, remaining unchanged from June’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.5 percent. North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 1.5 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 14,216 over the month to 4,943,277 and increased 213,715 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 558 over the month to 171,711 and decreased 70,710 over the year.

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 15 grant requests to local governments totaling $4,278,230, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 526 jobs, 324 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $200.9 million in private investment.