Unemployment Rates Fall Across North Carolina Counties in April 2025
April 2025 saw a notable decline in unemployment rates across all 100 counties in North Carolina, with Edgecombe County posting the highest at 4.9%. Meanwhile, both Currituck and Camden Counties recorded the lowest rates at 2.7%. This trend of reduced unemployment was consistent across the state’s metro areas, where each city reported a decrease in rates. Rocky Mount stood out with the highest metro unemployment at 4.5%, contrasting with Raleigh, which boasted the lowest rate at 2.9%. The overall statewide rate, not adjusted for seasonality, settled at 3.4%.
Unemployment Rate Distribution for April 2025
| Month | Counties with Rates 5% or Below | Counties with Rates Between 5% and 10% | Counties with Rates Above 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| March (revised) | 92 | 8 | 0 |
In comparison to the same period last year, a contrasting pattern emerges. The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates rose in 87 counties, dropped in five, and remained the same in eight. Among the metro areas, 14 experienced year-over-year rate increases, and only one remained stable.
The labor force dynamics showed an increase in statewide employment by 347, bringing the total to 5,106,110, while the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 14,207, totaling 180,760. Over the past year since April 2024, the number of employed individuals decreased by 10,602, whereas those unemployed increased by 14,194.
Because employment statistics are greatly influenced by seasonal trends, analyzing year-over-year changes in these non-seasonally adjusted figures is recommended for a clearer perspective.
The forthcoming update on unemployment figures is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, with the release of the state’s unemployment rate for May 2025.
Additional Information
For editors: Supplementary data related to this release is available through a live online dashboard. The attached PDF includes further charts and tables regarding today’s data. For more details, please contact Commerce Communications.
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