Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

Written by:
Stacker
April 8, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in North Carolina using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in North Carolina.

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#50. Sampson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,679 people (1,068 unemployed)

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David Garrison // Shutterstock

#49. Franklin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 35,228 people (1,288 unemployed)

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#48. Gaston County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 116,829 people (4,335 unemployed)

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#47. Forsyth County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 187,765 people (6,888 unemployed)

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#46. Chowan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,005 people (227 unemployed)

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Giulia Carletti // Shutterstock

#45. Wayne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,882 people (1,961 unemployed)

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#44. Randolph County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,642 people (2,467 unemployed)

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digidreamgrafix // Shutterstock

#43. Mecklenburg County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 665,445 people (25,078 unemployed)

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#42. Clay County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,231 people (166 unemployed)

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#41. Montgomery County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,315 people (442 unemployed)

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Scott Alan Ritchie // Shutterstock

#40. Person County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,384 people (755 unemployed)

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#39. Wilkes County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,072 people (1,029 unemployed)

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#38. Anson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 10,315 people (415 unemployed)

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#37. Rockingham County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,502 people (1,576 unemployed)

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Nikola Spasic Photography // Shutterstock

#36. Pitt County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,025 people (3,596 unemployed)

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#35. Swain County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,858 people (279 unemployed)

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Kirkam // Shutterstock

#34. Caswell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 9,925 people (404 unemployed)

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#33. Cherokee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,879 people (444 unemployed)

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#32. Pasquotank County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,244 people (710 unemployed)

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#31. Beaufort County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,555 people (796 unemployed)

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#30. Harnett County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,321 people (2,333 unemployed)

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#29. Northampton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,326 people (308 unemployed)

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#28. Lee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,866 people (1,088 unemployed)

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#27. Guilford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 260,893 people (10,989 unemployed)

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#26. Onslow County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 70,071 people (2,997 unemployed)

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#25. Perquimans County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,144 people (224 unemployed)

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#24. Alleghany County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,219 people (188 unemployed)

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D Guest Smith // Shutterstock

#23. Martin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,747 people (397 unemployed)

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#22. Bladen County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,944 people (671 unemployed)

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#21. Hoke County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,592 people (923 unemployed)

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StacieStauffSmith Photos // Shutterstock

#20. Columbus County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,207 people (1,032 unemployed)

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#19. Bertie County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,103 people (333 unemployed)

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#18. Hertford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,446 people (395 unemployed)

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#17. Graham County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,874 people (138 unemployed)

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#16. Richmond County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,344 people (828 unemployed)

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Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#15. Rutherford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,096 people (1,147 unemployed)

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#14. Nash County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 42,171 people (2,025 unemployed)

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iofoto // Shutterstock

#13. Brunswick County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,104 people (2,857 unemployed)

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D Guest Smith // Shutterstock

#12. Washington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,277 people (215 unemployed)

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#11. Cumberland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 129,980 people (6,464 unemployed)

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#10. Halifax County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,459 people (1,016 unemployed)

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#9. Robeson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,410 people (2,512 unemployed)

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Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#8. Vance County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,764 people (893 unemployed)

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Wileydoc // Shutterstock

#7. Wilson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,599 people (1,859 unemployed)

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#6. Edgecombe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,106 people (1,154 unemployed)

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#5. Warren County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 6,272 people (370 unemployed)

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#4. Scotland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 11,450 people (753 unemployed)

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#3. Tyrrell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,255 people (86 unemployed)

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MarkVanDykePhotography // Shutterstock

#2. Dare County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,629 people (1,290 unemployed)

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#1. Hyde County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,735 people (168 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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