Press Releases

The state’s seasonally adjusted June 2022 unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, remaining unchanged from May’s revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 3.6 percent. North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 1.6 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 12,675 over the month to 4,929,133 and increased 215,137 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 1,767 over the month to 172,658 and decreased 74,565 over the year.

Today, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the World Golf Hall of Fame announced that the World Golf Hall of Fame will be moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper joined the announcement today, where the two organizations detailed the new visitor experience at the USGA’s Golf House Pinehurst campus set to open in 2024. The Hall of Fame will relocate its physical collection from Florida to North Carolina.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Minister for International Trade Penny Mordaunt have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and Trade Relations to strengthen economic ties and transition to a clean energy economy.

North Carolina’s jobs portal, NCWorks.gov, is back online and available for use by jobseekers and employers.

Business Facilities Magazine names the state the Best Business Climate in America.

CNBC has named North Carolina as America’s Top State for Business in 2022. This morning, Governor Roy Cooper joined CNBC’s Scott Cohn at the Oceanic at the Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach for a live broadcast where the winner was revealed.

Merchants Distributors, LLC (MDI), a wholesale grocery distributor founded in Hickory in 1931 will invest $35 million in a new expansion of its services and operations, creating 125 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company anticipates adding approximately 250,000 square feet to its perishable capacity at its Caldwell County facilities.

Five new television and film projects are approved to receive North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant funds, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. Combined, these projects are expected to produce direct in-state spending of $107 million while creating more than 4,900 job opportunities in the state.   “We’ve worked tirelessly to get the film industry going again in North Carolina and we’re succeeding," said Governor Cooper. "Film, television and digital streaming projects here mean more money and jobs for North Carolinians.”

North Carolina’s online jobs portal, NCWorks.gov, is currently offline due to a cyber incident on Sunday, June 26. The state’s vendor that built and manages the website’s technology platform, Geographic Solutions, Inc. (GSI), reports they are working around the clock to restore service as quickly as possible. The NCWorks system program continues to serve job seekers and employers in-person through the statewide network of NCWorks Career Centers and by phone.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center announced today, that Manteo, Murphy, Pilot Mountain, and Pittsboro have been selected as the latest North Carolina Main Street communities.  This is a designation that municipalities earn after meeting rigorous national downtown development requirements.  The designation becomes effective July 1, 2022.