The state’s seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, declining 0.2 points from December’s revised rate. The national rate declined 0.4 points to 6.3 percent.
North Carolina’s January 2021 unemployment rate increased 2.4 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 9,882 over the month to 4,741,046 and decreased 187,402 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 11,284 over the month to 297,599 and increased 117,994 over the year.