The state’s seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, remaining unchanged from December’s revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent..
North Carolina’s January 2018 unemployment rate decreased 0.4 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 3,505 over the month to 4,747,769 and increased 85,879 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 407 over the month to 222,256 and decreased 20,263 over the year.
Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased 8,700 to 4,457,900 in January. The major industries with the largest over-the-month increases were Professional & Business Services at 3,000, followed by Leisure & Hospitality Services, 2,100; Construction, 1,800; Government, 1,100; Manufacturing, 1,100; Education & Health Services, 800; Financial Activities, 800; and Mining & Logging, 100. Major industries experiencing decreases were Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 1,000; Other Services, 1,000; and Information, 100.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates since January 2017
| Jan2017 | Feb2017 | Mar2017 | Apr2017 | May2017 | June2017 | July2017 | Aug2017 | Sep2017 | Oct2017 | Nov2017 | Dec2017 | Jan2018 | |
| N.C. | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| U.S. | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
* Please note: 2017 Numbers Have Been Annually Revised *
Since January 2017, Total Nonfarm jobs gained 70,200 with the Total Private sector growing by 63,100 and Government increasing by 7,100. The largest over-the-year increase among major industries was Professional & Business Services at 21,100, followed by Leisure & Hospitality Services, 10,000; Education & Health Services, 8,500; Trade, Transportation & Utilities, 8,400; Government, 7,100; Construction, 6,300; Financial Activities, 5,600; Manufacturing, 3,700; Information, 1,100; and Mining & Logging, 100. The only major industry experiencing a decrease was Other Services, 1,700.
The next unemployment update is scheduled for Friday, March 16, 2018 when the county unemployment rates for January 2018 will be released.