Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded employer engagement grants totaling $660,000 to 13 local workforce development boards, Governor Josh Stein announced today.

Today Governor Josh Stein announced that more than 500 high school students completed summer pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship academies this year through the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) in programs focused on electrical trades, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, biotechnology, and health care.

North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley issued a statement on Caterpillar's plans to expand its production capacity with a new manufacturing facility in Sanford:“Caterpillar’s billion-dollar investment in North Carolina is putting down even deeper roots in Sanford. Their investment is a powerful reflection of the manufacturing excellence, innovation, and opportunity that have become synonymous with North Carolina.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 91 counties in August 2026 and remained unchanged in nine. Edgecombe County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.4 percent while Currituck County had the lowest at 2.7 percent. Twelve of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases and three remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 4.8 percent while Asheville and Raleigh each had the lowest at 3.1 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.6 percent. 

Today Governor Josh Stein handed Dennis Fultz, a Leicester homeowner, the keys to his brand-new home – a homecoming that was made possible through Renew NC’s Single-Family Housing Program. After losing his house of 10 years to Hurricane Helene, Mr. Fultz now has a safe place to call home.

In the two years since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has helped families, businesses, and communities with the support needed to rebuild stronger than ever. Commerce is administering $1.4 billion in federal recovery funds supporting housing, infrastructure, and community development, welcomed nearly $7.7 billion of tourism to the mountains, announced economic development projects bringing 4,105 new jobs to the region, and dispersed more than $96 million in disaster-related unemployment insurance benefits to people in need. These

Today in Lansing, Governor Stein announced $5 million in new infrastructure grants to support small business recovery in western North Carolina through the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program. Two years since Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, Governor Stein continues to advocate for a $10 billion appropriation from Congress to support the next phase of recovery, including $5 billion to rebuild infrastructure, $3 billion to build more housing, and $1.5 billion to support economic recovery. 

The North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center reported today that since the inception of the Main Street program in North Carolina in 1980, designated Main Street and Small Town Main Street communities have leveraged more than $6.6 billion in public and private investment in their downtown districts.

The state’s seasonally adjusted August 2026 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, decreasing 0.1 of a percentage point from July’s revised rate. The national rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent.

Today Governor Stein joined officials with the N.C. Global TransPark and the U.S. Navy in Kinston for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul complex. The facility will provide fleet support to the United States military and bring more than 400 jobs to eastern North Carolina, with an estimated $140 million annual economic impact.